"Even the wicked get more than they deserve"

anonymous proverb


Chapter 1: Meddiant


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Atlantis Gateroom

2:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th


"What's going on?" Brigadier General Jack O'Neill demanded as he arrived at the Atlantis operations room.

"Its Earth, their sending people through," Dr. Weir answered. The Stargate activated as the rest of the two teams arrived.

"What's going on Elizabeth?" Sheppard demanded, pounding up the stairs, Atlantis's chief off world team hot on his heels.

"Earth is sending people through," she repeated and turned back to the Stargate and Grodin, who was monitoring it.

"Who?" Carter asked.

"Their coming through, ma'am," Grodin reported.

"Earth?" Daniel repeated and frowned. "Why would they be sending someone, didn't you guys already get your supplies and reinforcements?" He turned to Ford, who nodded and shrugged.

"Alright, Ford, Teyla, Ronon, come with me," Sheppard ordered and headed down to the gate room. Once they were in position Weir ordered the iris opened. A brief moment of tension and a group of military people stepped through the gate. O'Neill recognized them as SG-2 from the SGC.

"What the hells going on?" O'Neill muttered and headed down to the gate room, the others close behind. The commander of SG-2 introduced himself.

"Brigadier General O'Neill?"

"Yes."

"Major Griff, sir, commander of SG-2," he saluted and Jack saluted back. Sheppard stepped up.

"Major John Sheppard," they saluted. He motioned to his team. "This is Sg-2." Carter recognized a familiar face and they shared a smile.

"Are you the only ones coming through?"

"No, sir." He turned as another team stepped through the gate. Their military uniforms differed only in that they wore blue barrettes and arm bands. It was Dr. Weir, who had joined them from the operations centre, who recognized them.

"UN peacekeepers," she said sounding amazed and stepped forward, Jack and Sheppard stepped aside, this was obviously her are of expertise. "Dr. Elizabeth Weir, I'm in charge of the Atlantis operation," she extended her hand and one of the Peacekeepers, a woman, reached out and took it. Jack and Sheppard walked over.

"Brigadier General Jack O'Neill."

"Major John Sheppard." The women shook both their hands shook both their hands.

"This is Lt. Colonel Sam Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell, and Teal'c," Jack pointed to each as he spoke.

"Teyla Emmagan, Lt. Aiden Ford, Ronon Dex, and Dr. Rodney McKay," Sheppard motioned to his team. She nodded to each of them in turn.

"I'm Llewellyn Gwynnedd-Vaughn, this is Lt. Colonel Jake McCarthy," She motioned to the man to her left, he had sky blue eyes and wild sun blond sticking up in every which way and a warm smile that almost made you forget he was holding a P90 among other things. "1st Lieutenant Rain Hernandez," A young Mexican woman with ink black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and light brown eyes nodded to them, "1st Lieutenant Chad Kaplan," The young man had jet black hair and matching eyes, "1st Lieutenant Drake Dokson," His black hair fell slightly forward over his head band and he had dark brown eyes, "And Donna Reed," She was not a soldier that much was obvious, her platinum blond hair flipped out, cut to her shoulders and her blue eyes were warm and friendly. "We're a UN JTF unit."

"Oh," Jack said as if he knew what that meant. "What's that mean?" he asked a second later. Llewellyn smiled.

"JTF, Joint Task Force, teams that are made up of operatives from different countries; you could say the Atlantis expedition is one big JTF unit," she explained.

"Oh," they nodded, this time actually understanding what she'd said.

"This is Adele De Rousseau," she motioned to the other women. She had brown hair dyed platinum blond with silver highlights and dark blue eyes that had streaks of silver and black. Her hair stuck sup in every direction and her skin was slightly tanned. High cheek bones and firm bone structure and she was defiantly of French descent. She was tall; at least 5'8" and well built from what they could see through the fatigues she wore. They could see enough however to tell she had a gun at her hip and shoulder and most likely a knife in her boot. She shook hands with them and Daniel realized she was a hell of a lot stronger than she looked. She stood back however behind and to the right of the other women, a sign of respect. O'Neill and Sheppard turned to her as she introduced her self.

"Lt. Llewellyn Gwynnedd." Weir, McKay and Carter's jaws dropped.

"Oh wow," Carter breathed. "It's an honor ma'am," she extended her hand and Gwynnedd shook it.

"Okay," Jack breathed under his breath. "Is there a reason we should know who she is?" he asked Weir who just stared at him like he had grown another head.

"She's the one whose been briefing the UN on the Stargate. It's really an honor to have you here," Weir greeted Gwynnedd smiled.

"My pleasure," her voice still had a thick accent none of them recognized but she obviously spoke English as one of her native languages, otherwise Jack doubted they'd have been able to understand a word. Her hair was light, sun kissed blond with darker strands, light brown naturally with natural silver highlights, it was pulled back into a complicated bun and a few strands had fallen lose. Her eyes were an ungodly color, blue almost black with freckles of blue, yellow, red, silver, orange, purple, and green. Her skin was fair, light peach and her features were soft, bordering on sharp. She was the same height as the other women, but curvier, well built. She too, had a gun at her shoulder and under her uniform she wore a necklace of shards of obsidian on a clear chain, they looked like they were floating around her neck and Teyla was staring at them intently.

"Well, I hate to be rude, but what exactly are you doing here?" Jack asked she turned to Major Griff obviously expecting him to answer.

"The Lt. is here to," he cleared his throat. "Help on behalf of the UN," They all stared at him blackly and he continued, "And to report back to the UN on the situation."

"Oh," was all Jack said.


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Hallway

5:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th


"General O'Neill." Jack stopped, sighed, and turned around, Lt. Gwynnedd, however you pronounced that, was hurrying up to him.

"What's up Lt?" He liked her, he really did, but he didn't lie the idea of someone so new to the programme reporting to someone like the UN.

"I'm here to help, what exactly do you need me to do?"

"Well, every things fine at the moment, so you could go talk to McKay; I'm sure he can find something for you to do," Jack smiled and she watched him walk off with a weary look.


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy

Labs

5:45 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th


Dr. Rodney McKay heard the door of his lab slide open, then close again, but didn't look up, to buried in his work to realize someone else was there.

Gwynnedd sighed and look around the crowded lab. Every available surface was covered in papers or ancient artifacts, empty candy wrappers, plates, and cups littered here and there. If this was his work place she didn't want to see his living quarters. She plucked a half eaten candy bar off the counter and turned it over, only to discover the bottom half was covered in some short of green growth, she grimaced and looked around for the trash can and tossed it in. She turned back to the scientist bent over some strange box, muttering to himself and wondered if the man ever stopped talking. She cleared her throat and got no response.

"Dr. McKay." No response. She tried again. "Dr. McKay!" Still no response and her patience was wearing thin, not that she'd had much patience to begin with. "DR. BLOODY MCKAY!" That got his attention. He jumped and spun around nearly dropping the object in his hands.

"What?" he looked disoriented for a moment, then his vision focused and he frowned. "What do you want? I'm busy, go bother someone else," he said irritably turning back to the device; she grabbed it before he could react. "Hey!" she held it out of his reach.

"General O'Neill said you could give me something to do."

"That's not my problem, give me that back!"

"Give me something to do."

"You're no help to me unless you're a scientist!" McKay snapped, reaching for the device again.

"What's your definition of a scientist?"

"Have you passed the MENSA test?"

She raised an eyebrow. "The MENSA test?"

"Yes, the MENSA test. You know the one that determines how smart you are!" he said sarcastically.

"Oh, that one. I passed that when I was 10." He gapped, she shrugged.

"Do you have the gene?"

"The what?"

"The gene, the Ancient gene the one that allows you to operate their technology. That one! Do you have it?"

She felt and looked overwhelmed. "Uh, I don't know, is there some short of test?" Suddenly the object in her hand started glowing. She looked up. "Uh…." McKay stared at her in shock, then turned to the artifact and stared at it in shock, then turned back to her, then back to the artifact, then back to her…and so on and so on, for about five minutes. And then the device started beeping and they both stared at it.

"Uh oh," McKay muttered.

"'Uh oh'! What's 'uh oh' mean?" she demanded, glancing nervously at the device in her hand. She held it away from her with both hands, studying it, while McKay grabbed a camera and started photographing it. She saw a small button on the bottom of the box, or the top, either way it was a button and the only thing besides ancient writing on the box. And since it didn't look like it was going to blow up and there was nothing else to do she pressed the button. The beeping intensified and she and McKay shared a look before dropping the device and diving for cover.

BOOM!

The explosion echoed throughout the room. And a few minutes later, she coughed and sat up, knocking papers off her legs. McKay was a few feet away holding a misshapen camera; his lab looked like it'd been through one to many rounds with Muhammad Ali and if she hadn't been responsible she'd have bet that was what had happened. When he turned to her, she grinned sheepishly. "Uh, heh, oops."


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Lab

5:45 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th


"Jack."

Jack turned when Daniel called his name.

"Did you find something Daniel?" He walked over, quickly joined by Sheppard. Daniel was bent over a piece of rock brought back by SG1; he'd grabbed it as they were running from the Jaffa who'd attacked them on P9X-224. It was a perfect circle, its sides smooth and about a meter in diameter.

"Look at this," he pointed to something on the stone and Jack bent closer.

"It looks like some sort of writing," Jack squinted. "Can't read it though."

"Well, obviously," Daniel muttered. "Its, well I thinks it's the language of the Ancients." By now everyone else was watching them Sheppard picked up the rock and turned it over in his hands.

"Do you know what it says?" he asked.

"Uh, not exactly, but I think it its talking about some sort of spirit," he paused and took the stone from Sheppard. "If I'm reading it right, it's telling how it possess people, takes over their body and controls them, kinda like the Goa'uld except…except that, it lives off the life force off the person it's possessing."

"Wait, so what does that mean?" Ford asked.

"Well, basically I think it means it lives on its host and then moves on, it drains them, like the wraith. And it can't last long in one body, well, it depends on the person I'd imagine-"

"Daniel." Jack interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Where is it now?"

"Where is what now?" Daniel looked confused, caught up in his own thoughts.

"The spirit."

"Oh, well, uh that's a problem."

"Why?"

"Well, it says it was trapped in the Stone of Souls, which I'm imagining is what this is, was."

"Okay, so it's trapped in that rock," Sheppard surmised.

Daniel frowned and shifted from foot to foot nervously. "Well…"

"Well, what Daniel?"

"It was in the stone."

"Was?" Ford asked.

"Uh, if I'm right, if, when we took the stone back with us we…brokethesealthatwasholdingitin," he finished in a rush.

It took them a minute to understand what he'd said. "Which means that it's loose in Atlantis?" Weir finished in shock.

Daniel nodded.

"Oh boy," Jack groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

"How do we find it?" Sheppard asked.

"Well, we can't."

"Why can we not locate it?" Teyla demaned.

"Well, because we don't know what to look for. I mean for all we know it could change a person's skin color or be like the Goa'uld and we'd never know."

"Well, we have to find away," Weir insisted.

"Yeah, but how, I mean if Daniel's right then-" the door flew open and Zelenka rushed in.

"What's wrong Doctor?" Weir asked. He said something in a rush that none them caught. "Calm down and repeat what you just said," Weir ordered calmly.

"I said 'I think McKay's lab just blew up'!" They all stared at him in silence, not comprehending what he said.

"I'm sorry, one more time," Jack requested.

"I think Rodney's lab just blew up."

"Wait, what do you mean 'you think'?" Cameron asked.

"Well, there was an explosion and then smoke and a few very loud curses that I don't care to repeat or remember," his accent made it hard to understand but they got it.

"Son of a-" Sheppard cursed and headed for the door the others close behind. Daniel put the artifact down carefully in a box and closed the lid before following everyone else. He hurried to catch up and ran right into one of the labs techs.

"Oh, sorry!" He apologized, fixing his glasses.

"It's all right, sir," the lab tech helped him up. Daniel stared at him for a moment before nodding and hurrying down the hall.

The lab tech watched him go and smiled, slipping in to the now abandoned lab.

Halfway there, Daniel cursed and dug around in his pockets, he'd forgotten his notebook, he turned and sprinted back down the hall and ducked inside the lab, only to see the lab tech already there, lifting the Stone of Souls out of the box he'd placed it in.

"Hey, what are you doing?" the lab tech's head snapped up and Daniel stumbled backward when his eyes glowed white. "What the-" the lab tech grabbed the stone and rushed for the door, Daniel moved to block him, but only succeeded in getting slammed into the wall on the other side of the hallway. He slumped to the ground, grimacing and holding his side.

"Dr. Jackson?" he turned when someone with a French accent called his name, only to see Adele De Rousseau rushing towards him, she stopped and knelt next to him.

"No, go get him!" Daniel ordered and pointed to the lab tech escaping down the hall. She looked torn for a moment. "GO!" Daniel roared and she did. Sprinting down that hall at an amazing speed, Daniel hoped it was enough to catch the lab tech.

Adele cursed and charged down the corridor. Today had been one of the dullest of her life, despite the fact that they were in Atlantis, until she'd rounded a corner and seen Dr. Daniel Jackson get thrown across the hallway by a lab tech half his size carrying a rock, she doubted he could lift on a good day.

"Hey stop!" she ordered, he ignored her and turned another corner, Adele vaguely noted they were heading further down the lost city. The lab tech stopped suddenly turned and fired a gun at her. God knew where the hell he got it and she slid to a stop just in time to duck the bullet, while he took off. She cursed under her breath and stared off after him again. "I don't give up that easily, mon ami," she muttered and turned the corner after him just in time to see him run straight into Llewellyn.

Llewellyn's head rang, first the explosion and now some crazy lab tech. She pulled herself to her feet and extended a hand down to help him up.

"Hey are you alright?" When he looked up she stumbled back in shock as his eyes glowed and he smiled menacingly.

"Llewellyn! Stop him! Grab the rock!" She looked up to see Adele racing down the hallway towards them, the lab tech jumped up and shoved her out of the way, but she grabbed him just in time. He twisted wildly trying to escape but Llewellyn held on, twisting on of his arms behind his back as Adele reached them. He struggled but the two women managed to get the rock from him. Suddenly he twisted and grabbed Adele's head in his hands forcing her to look him in the eye. Llewellyn fell backward against the wall in shock as a black shadow passed from the lab techs body to Adele's, the lab tech fainted as soon as the transition was complete and Adele stumbled back holding her head.

"Fuck, Adele?" Llewellyn reached a hand out to help her friend but she snapped up and grabbed for the rock, Llewellyn twisted out of the way just in time. "Adele! What the hells wrong with you? Doc, Jake? Come in?" she shouted into the radio on her left shoulder. Nothing. "Damn," she ducked Adele's fist and scrambled away, dragging the rock with her. "Rhain, Kaplan? Dammit!" she jumped to her feet, kicking the stone behind her and bringing up her fists. "Adele? Are you there?"

"Your friend is gone, human. Give me the stone!"

"No! Nyx are you there?" calling the symbiote was the last thing she wanted to do and there was still no response. "Who are you?"

"My name is Zorn. Give me the stone and I shall let you live," he coaxed.

"Like hell! Do you know how many times I've heard that!"

"I will make it worth your wild," he murmured.

She wasn't sure if that was a come on or he was talking about riches. "Look, I'm not giving you the sto-" he lunged, his hands wrapping around her throat and squeezing. She brought her hands up to hit him but her instincts kicked in and she grabbed his hands and tried to pull them away form her neck.

The human struggled, Zorn smiled, she was strong this one, but not quiet strong enough. Her knees buckled, and she slid to the floor. He kept his hands around her throat. The blond women's body had extraordinary strength he might keep this body longer than the others. The human continued to struggle, but to no avail. Suddenly something struck at him mentally, from within the blonde's body.

"What is this?" he seethed. Then recognized what it was. Goa'uld. He cursed and then calmed himself. The life was draining out of the eyes of the other human her body would suffice. He switched bodies just as the other humans appeared.

"De Rousseau, Gwynnedd!"

De Rousseau collapsed and Gwynnedd slid to the floor. Sam kneeled down next to Adele, checking her pulse.

"She's alive," Sam shook her gently. "Hey, wake up." De Rousseau groaned and blinked. Weir and Ford kneeled down next to Gwynnedd.

"Hey, you alright?" Ford asked, placing a hand on her shoulder, Weir put a hand to her forehead.

"Fine," she croaked. Spying the rock, Daniel turned to the two women.

"Where is he?"

"Who?" De Rousseau muttered from the floor.

"The man who stole the rock, well the spirit actually-"

"Zorn."

"What?"

"Zorn, his name is Zorn."

"Uh, how, how do you know that?"

"Because he told us."

"Well, that's all nice and dandy, but where is he?"

"We lost him," Gwynnedd groaned.

Suddenly De Rousseau sat up. "He was in me one second, when he was strangling her, then…nothing."

Daniel paused and turned to Gwynnedd who stared back at him intently. Ford lunged and grabbed her just as she moved to run. Thank god for marine training.


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Medical Bay

5:45 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th


"Hey, doc what happened?" Jack walked up to Beckett in the infirmary.

"Uh, well I'm not sure exactly, General. Dokson gave her something that knocked her out after I gave her a physical. No signs of damage or anything, I doubt we'd 'ave noticed if De Rousseau hadn't told us. Strong lass though," Beckett said as they walked over to her bedside where Dokson was taking her pulse.

"So, is she going to be alright?" Jack asked.

"We don't know. And unless you can get the ghost out of her I can't make any promises," Dokson said without looking up.

"Were there any physical marks?" Weir asked.

"No, none accept the abrasions on her neck and they'll only last a few hours," he checked her pulse.

"Perhaps it is best this way," Teal'c said everyone turned to him.

"What do you mean, Teal'c?" Sam asked.

"Lt. Gwynnedd seems to be very strong, both physically and mentally. She has shown no sign of surrendering to the creature's control."

"Well, not yet," Daniel pointed out.

"I agree with Teal'c, she seems to have extraordinary self control and she has been able to control the creature so far, perhaps it would a good idea to have her hold the creature until Dr. Jackson, Dr. Carter, ad Dr. McKay can find a way to destroy it," Teyla put in. Jack sighed.

"If we can find a way to destroy it," Rodney muttered.

"Doc, how long can she last with that thing in her without causing permanent damage?"

"I don't know. You'd have to give me something to compare with."

"Well, we know the creature absorbs people's life force," Daniel said.

"Aye, but if your going along those lines you also have to look at the fact that everyone may have different amounts of life force or even different kinds. I cannea determine anything with just that."

"Hey, what'd you give her that knocked her out?" Jack asked Dokson.

"A cocktail."

They stared at him.

"A cocktail?" Jack repeated. He nodded.

"Aren't those are illegal," Cameron pointed out.

"Yes," Carson broke in, sounding angry, righteous Scottish anger, a scary thing.

"It's the only thing that'll slow her down, let alone knock her out."

"How long do we have before she comes to?" Ford asked.

"Five, six hours maybe. Why?"

"Can you give her another cocktail after that?"

"No. I'd have to wait at least an hour so the first one was completely out of her system, otherwise it might overdose."

"So we've got six hours to figure out how to kill the thing," Ford stated.

"Pretty much."

"Alright," Dr. Weir sighed. "Dr. Jackson, you Col. Carter, Teyla, Teal'c, and Dr. McKay try and find away to catch it or kill it. Dr. Jackson you said there was more than one so Major Sheppard, Gen. O'Neill, Lt. Ford, Ronon, and De Rousseau will try and see if we can find the others. Major, I suggest you find Lorne, Bates, and Stackhouse, Col. Caldwell should be back soon, I'll contact him," She suggested, after a moment O'Neill nodded.

"Alright people, let's move out," he ordered. "You two stay here and watch over her...it," he shook his head and left with the others, Beckett and Dokson turned back to their patient.


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Lab

7:45 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th

4 hours left


"Daniel, have you found anything?" Sam called from across the lab.

"No, you?"

"No. Damnit, ugh."

"Relax, Dr. Carter, you will be no help to Lt. Gwynnedd if you are too upset to work," Teyla advised.

"Yeah, thanks," Sam sighed and Teyla nodded smiling.

"Well, you two may not have found any thing, but I did," McKay said smugly from the other side of the lab. They all turned to where he'd been studying the rock that the spirit had been trapped in.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"This isn't a rock."

"What?" Sam stared at him in shock and they migrated over to where he was working.

"Well, if it's not a rock what is it?" Daniel asked.

"It's iron, a ball of solid iron."

"Well, that makes sense," Daniel muttered, everyone turned to him.

"How so, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"Well, in some myths, well many myths actually, iron is the bane of demons. It could be that the people on the planet we were looking at believe that whoever or whatever they trapped in that stone was a demon."

"This would explain the iron and the glowing eyes you said the lab tech had," Sam finished.

"Exactly. It also explains why there were no people on the planet we were looking except the Jaffa who came after us."

"The Goa'uld must have been looking for the planets inhabitants. But there weren't any so…" Sam trailed off and Daniel picked up.

"So there must have been some big fight between whatever that thing is and the past inhabitants of the planet. A fight that wiped out both sides and left nothing but the spirits trapped in the iron."

"That does make sense, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c agreed.

"Yeah, but it still doesn't tell us how to get the thing out of her."


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Mess Hall

8:15 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th

3 hours 45 minutes left


Sheppard and Adele were talking to Sgt. Markham outside the mess hall.

"Has anyone been acting strangely lately?"

"What do you mean 'strange'?"

"Out of character, suspicious," Adele offered.

Markham frowned and stared hard at them both.

"What the hell is going on, Major?"

Sheppard sighed. "Look, something's loose in Atlantis. We have one of them captured,"

"If you can call it captured," Adele muttered.

"And we think their may be more of them that are still loose."

Markham frowned. "What kind of 'things'?"

"Spirits. That possesses people."

Markham stared at them. "You're kidding?"

"No." They shook their heads. And Markham shook his in disbelief, turning and glancing over his shoulder at the soldiers seated in the make shift mess hall.

"I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. But I'll keep my eye out and let you know if I see something."

"Alright thanks," Sheppard said.

"Uh, can you keep this quiet for a while, until we get this under wraps," Adele asked, Markham nodded.

"Sure thing, Major, Miss De Rousseau. I'm gonna go find Stacks," he saluted and left.

"You sure he wasn't possessed?" Adele turned to Sheppard, who nodded. "Alright," she sighed. "What next?"

"Let's check the gate room personnel."

"Alright."


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Rec. Room

8:25 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th

3 hours 35 minutes left


"Alright, so everyone here is clear," O'Neill announced. Ford sighed.

"Where to next, sir?"

"Uh, hold on, I wanna see if the others found anything," Jack tapped the radio on his ear. "Major Sheppard, you there?"

"I'm here, General. What's up?"

"Have you found any thing, because we've got squat!"

"Nope, we checked the mess hall and the west wing of personnel rooms. All clear."

"Great," Jack sighed. "Alright we're going to check the east wing. Where are you headed?"

"Gate room."

"Alright. Talk to ya later."

"Yeah. Later."

"Alright, to the east wing," Jack sighed, Ford nodded and they walked out, Jack turned left in the hallway, but Ford went right.

"Uh sir."

Jack turned. "What?"

"It's this way."

"Oh. Right. I knew that," he turned around. "Lead the way Lt."

"Yes, sir." Ford hid a smile.


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Gate Room

8:40 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th

2 hours 20 minutes left


"Grodin!" Sheppard called. The young scientist turned when they walked up.

"Hello, Major, Miss De Rousseau. What can I do for you?"

"We have a problem."

"What sort of problem?" Peter asked.

"Something's loose in Atlantis and we need to find it," Adele told him, he frowned.

"What kind of thing?"

"A spirit that possesses people," Sheppard said bluntly. Peter frowned, like he wasn't sure whether or not to believe them.

"Everything here is normal Major; we've been running tests so no one here has left since this morning," he explained.

"Oh," Sheppard sighed.

"Well, that answers that," Adele frowned. "Alright let's go find General O'Neill."

"Thanks Peter," Sheppard said, the young man smiled and turned back around as they left.

"Anytime Major, good luck."

"We're gonna need it," Sheppard muttered, following Adele out.


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Medical Bay

8:40 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th

2 hours 0 minutes left


Beckett looked up when Cameron knocked, Daniel with him.

"Hey, come on in."

"Thanks. Uh any change in the Lt?"

"Actually yes, and something you better see." He led them over to where Lt. Gwynnedd lay; a machine was monitoring her progress. "I was going to call you if this kept up. You see that line there?"

"Uh hun."

"Those are her brainwaves."

"And?"

"Watch."

Daniel and Cameron stared at the screen and their eyes widen when her brainwaves went crazy and then settled back down.

"What just happened?"

"I think the spirit or what ever is in her is trying to break free or take control. That's happened several times and it's happening more often. I think it's because the drugs are wearing off."

"Wait so; the medication that knocked her out held him in."

"Well, I think it's a little more along the lines of that he can't do anything while she's out."

"Right, he can only take control when she's conscious and he's trapped in her body as long as she's unconscious."

"Right. Now the drugs are wearing off and he's trying to break out."

"How, she's still out?"

"Well, I think it has something to do with the fact that most drugs don't put her out in the first dose and that she's very strong, physically and mentally. I'd put money on her for having studied martial arts and meditation for most of her life."

"Well, that would explain why it can't break out or take over."

"Aye."

Daniel sighed and scratched his head.

"Alright, but how do we get him out and trapped?" Cameron asked.

Beckett shrugged.

"What about the other one?"

"What other one?" Daniel asked confused.

"Dr. Weir said you said there was another one."

"I-I didn't say that…Oh no," Daniel sprinted to Beckett's office and grabbed the radio off Beckett's desk. "Jack, are you there? Come in Jack!"

"I'm here Daniel, what's wrong."

"Where's Dr. Weir?"

"I don't know. Did you ask Sheppard?"

"Uh, hold on."

"Yeah, okay."

Daniel grabbed another radio. "Sheppard come in."

"What's up Daniel?" The Major's voice crackled over the radio.

"Is Weir with you?"

"No, I thought she was with Jack, didn't she say something about meeting Col. Caldwell."

"She's not. I think she's possessed."

"What! Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, hold on and Adele and I'll go find her."

"Alright I'm gonna tell Jack, bring her back to the medical bay."

"Alright copy that."

"Alright," Daniel switched back to Jack. "Jack, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here Daniel. Did you find Weir?"

"No. I think she's possessed Jack."

"What makes you think that?"

"Jack, I never said there were more then one of these things and she did."

"Oh."

"Sheppard and Adele are already looking for her."

"Alright, stay where ever you are and wait."

"I'm in medical."

"Alright. Over and out."

Daniel put the radios back on the desk.

"What now?" Beckett asked.

"Now, we wait."


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Hallway

11:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th

1 hour left


Jack and Ford rushed down the hall way to Weir's office. They rounded a corner and saw Adele and Sheppard coming the other way. John and Jack nodded to each other, silently understanding the plan.

"Do we shoot?" Ford asked quietly. Jack and John frowned.

"No," John said firmly.

"Unless she's trying to kill you," Jack added.

"Isn't she going to be trying to kill us the minute she finds out we know?" Adele asked.

"Alright, don't shoot unless it's a last resort and just to wound," Jack said.


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Medical Bay

11:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th

1 hour left


"Hey, Sam?" Daniel picked up one of the radios and called the lab.

"Yeah?"

"Have you found anything else?"

"No. You?"

"I think Dr. Weir's possessed."

"What?"

"Well, you remember when she said I said there was more then one of these things?"

"Yeah."

"I never said that."

"Oh! Have you told the Jack and Sheppard?"

"Yeah, their looking for her right now, their going to bring her back to the medical lab once they find her."

"Alright, we'll head over there right now."

"Okay, and bring the rock or whatever it is."

"Alright see you in a minute."

"Okay," Daniel put the radio back on the desk and turned to Beckett and Dokson.

"How much longer until she wakes up?" Cameron asked.

"About an hour," Dokson answered, Cameron blew out the breath he'd been holding and ambled over to her bedside looking down at her. She was actually very good looking, not in the normal way though. Her features were to plain almost for the normal definition of good looking. To the untrained eye she looked like some ancient war goddess.

Where the hell did that come from Mitchell? You don't even know the woman.

Her eyelids twitched and Cameron wondered if you could dream while you were unconscious. Without thinking he picked up her hand and held it with both of his, absent mindedly rubbing his thumb over her palm.

Sam, Rodney, Teyla, and Teal'c rushed into the infirmary. Cameron was standing by Lt. Gwynedd's bed holding her hand. Beckett, Daniel, and Dokson were standing a few feet away talking; all four looked up when they entered.

"Oh, hey did you bring the rock," Daniel asked. Sam nodded and they hurried over. Teal'c handed Daniel the rock and the archeologist studied it carefully. Daniel's eyes narrowed as they ran over every inch of the iron. Muttering to himself he translated every word and then stopped nearly dropping it as he stared at the small picture on the side.

"That's it!" he exclaimed making every one else jump.

"What?" Sam asked.

"It's right here, on the rock,"

"Iron," McKay corrected.

"Whatever, but look do you see that picture," he pointed it out and everyone moved closer to get a look at it. "You see?" he continued with out giving them a chance to answer. "Their placing the iron on the person's stomach and its drawing the demon out," The picture, while crude, was exactly what Daniel was describing.

"Maybe we should try it?" Sam suggested. "It's not like we have anything other ideas." They agreed and Beckett kept a close eye on the monitor while Daniel placed the iron one her stomach. After a minute nothing happened and they were about to admit defeat when a piercing howl echoed through the room, causing them to jump. The iron started glowing and Gwynnedd's eyes snapped open, they were glowing and her body began to convulse.

"Son of a-" Dokson cursed as he and Beckett grabbed her.

"Hold her down!" Beckett snapped and Teal'c and Teyla grabbed her legs, the two doctors grabbed her arms and Sam held her head and Cameron pinned her shoulders. Daniel made sure the rock didn't fall during the convulsions, while McKay watched the monitor. A moment later her body fell limp and a the spirit, demon, Zorn whatever was pulled out of her body, the rock acting like a vacuum and sucking him back in. Once it was over Sam snatched the rock and she, Teyla, McKay, Cameron, Daniel, and Teal'c ran to find Weir. Beckett stared at the monitor while Dokson checked her pulse.


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Dr. Weir's office

11:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th

30 minutes left


The two teams quietly slipped up to the door of Weir's office. Since they couldn't peek in due to the Ancient's technology they silently agreed on a plan. Walk in like nothing was wrong and grab her when she least expected it. Okay, so it wasn't brilliant, but they'd only had a few minutes to think it up and the crazy plans seemed to work for them. Sheppard knocked on the door.

"Come in." They walked in, looking around the room as Weir looked up from her papers. "What can I help you with, Major?" she smiled.

"Uh, we wanted to talk about the current situation. Is Col. Caldwell here yet?"

"No. Did you find the others?" She asked. Ford and Adele moved around to the sides of the desk as O'Neill and Sheppard stood in front of it, effectively cornering her. She frowned and they saw suspicion in her eyes, it was when Sam and the others, minus Daniel rushed in carrying the stone that the spirit revealed its self. Weir eyes flashed, glowing not unlike the Goa'uld and jumped up.

"What do you think your doing, human?" it snarled.

"Putting you back in the damn rock…thingy," Jack snapped and lunged along with Ford, Sheppard, and De Rousseau. After a brief struggle Weir managed to get loose and knocked Sam out of the way. Teal'c and Teyla moved to block the door but she grabbed a chair and flung it at them causing them to duck out of the way, giving her a clear shoot to the doorway. Jack cursed under his breath and jumped to his feet, the others right behind him, only to slide to a stop in shock as soon as they were in the hallway. 1st Lieutenant Rain Hernandez and Jake McCarthy were watching Col. Caldwell with Some amazement as he restrained Weir.

"What the hells going on?" Caldwell snapped.

"Hold her down!" Sam ordered and he pinned her down on her back. Sam repeated what Daniel had done with Gwynedd and the same thing happened. Her body convulsed and her eyes glowed as the spirit was sucked out of her, Caldwell, Rain, and Jake watching in amazment. A few minutes later Weir came too.

"What happened?" she looked around. O'Neill, Sheppard, McKay, De Rousseau, Teal'c, Teyla, Ronon, Teyla, Ford, and the UN team were standing around her in a circle and Sam was kneeling next to her. The artifact Daniel had brought back fromP9X-224 was lying near her legs and she automatically kicked it away.

"You don't remember anything?" Sam asked and she shook her head.

"No, but I have a massive head ache," Sam smiled and Jack and Jake reached down to pull her to her feet.

"Come on lets get you to Beckett, we'll tell you everything once he's checked you over."

"I'm gonna get rid of this. You think the bottom of the ocean'll do?" Rain asked picking up the rock. O'Neill nodded.


Planet of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, Milky Way

Dr. Weir's office

12:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 29th


Precisely at midnight Gwynnedd woke up to the warm, blue grey eyes of Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell. She stared at him for a moment and he stared right back, before smiling. And for the first time in her life, well maybe not the first time, she spoke without thinking.

"You're handsome."


...diwedd...