Vegas: Evolution3
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge."
John walked along the streets of Vegas with his family. The heat was tolerable, the sun a hot gold ball in the clear, clear sky bearing down with relentless precision as the little group made their way up the street. John could feel sweat prickling under his arms, on his back, at the nape of his neck and he licked his lips, wanting a drink, any drink.
He'd even settle for water.
Moira walked beside him, guiding the two boys in front of her. She squinted against the sunlight, staring around. Despite the recent ecological disaster Vegas was still thriving, like a woman bedecked and ready to dazzle all who came her way. The casino/hotels were all open, all brightly lit but the colors were faded. Tourists abounded and so did the criminals waiting to prey upon them. Cars motored up and down the street but they were becoming fewer now as gas supplies were drying up at long last.
Johnny and Seamus were staring round as well, trying to not gawk at the vast assortment of humanity, at the dereliction of the buildings despite the noise and the lights. The clinking of slot machines could still be heard on the streets as they passed casino after casino. Scantily clad women were hawking their own special wares on the corner, and both boys gaped, open-mouthed.
With a scowl Moira tugged them aside and directed them across the street.
John smirked, following. "Hey, Moy, a boy's gotta learn sometime, you know."
"Not here, sweetie," she reprimanded, "and not like this! Boys!"
The two boys blushed and pretended to ignore the female flesh on display.
John chuckled. "There. Beckett's. The place is still open, I guess."
"Even the end of the world wouldn't close a bar," Moira quipped, and quickly guided the two boys into the establishment. Darkness enveloped them, as did a coolness that was churning from a noisy air conditioner.
John stepped ahead of his family, glancing round cautiously as he removed his aviator shades. His hand slid to his jacket, feeling the familiar weight of his 9mm. He stepped to the bar, assured that the few patrons were harmless. You could never be too careful anymore.
Especially on an evolving planet.
"Hey. Scotch, straight up. Three Cokes."
"You got it, buddy. New in town?" the bartender asked, an older, surlier man who eyed the boys and the woman behind John as they stepped round him to the bar.
"Nah. We just came back for a visit. We used to live here. How's things?"
"Bad to worse, like the rest of the country." He served up the drinks, shrugging. "There's talk of sending more through that Stargate thingy to other planets to save our civilization. There's talk of some extinction event on the horizon. Well, I say if we survived the alien invasion and the space/time whatever shit we can survive anything thrown at us."
"I hear ya. Cheers." John downed the Scotch. He glanced at his family. The boys were sipping their Cokes, staring round with wide eyes at the bar, never having been in one before today. Bars were scarce in Atlantis. Moira was eying her data pad, scowling and John felt an answering jerk in his pants as he anticipated an argument with her. "Let's grab a table and wait. Boys."
The boys grabbed their Cokes and headed for an unoccupied table, whispering to each other. John waited but Moira was eying her pad. She shut it, took hold of her Coke and stepped to the bartender as he was wiping down the counter. "Actually we are still in an extinction event, even before the invasion we were. There's a third strike coming and if it does life on this planet may be extinguished for good, at least life as we know it. As the continents merge at an unprecedented rate and the subduction zone moves into the Pacific the whole planet will shift and become a—"
"Moira, I don't think he wanted a lecture, doctor. Here." John took her arm, guided her to the table where they sat with their sons.
"I'm just saying, John, that evacuation may be the only way for the human species to survive in this galaxy if something catastrophic happens to—"
"Whatever, doctor. Tone it down, would ya?"
"No, I will not tone it down, detective! That is why we are here, isn't it? To check the rate of progress of this planet's evolution and to see if the corollaries with the prehistoric past are accurate enough to predict the future! Rodney has said the third strike is coming, an asteroid that could obliterate life on Earth but we don't know when and at the current rate of—"
"Moira! Classified intel, all right?" John snapped, glaring.
Moira sighed, shook her head. "Fine, detective." She smiled at her sons. "It's all right, boys. You know how grumpy dad can be when he's only had one drink."
"Exactly! And when I am drowning in science." He waited until his sons were distracted by the sound of the jukebox coughing to life before Sympathy for the Devil began to play. "And when I am getting a raging hard-on from arguing with you, baby," he said quietly, his low voice close to her ear.
Moira smiled but smacked his hand off her thigh. "Keep it in your pants, Sheppard." She leaned close and brushed her lips across his stubbly cheek, sat back and sipped her Coke.
"Dad! Dad, is that an Earth song like you play in Atlantis?"
"Yes, Seamus. Quiet about that now," John warned. Although many things had been made public due to the alien invasion of the Wraith the existence of Atlantis was not one of them.
"Sorry, daddy, er dad."
"Don't worry about it, buddy."
"Mom, are we going to the house?" Johnny asked, eyes on his mother now.
"Maybe. If it's safe," she cautioned. "John?"
"Depends. Ah." John stood, eyes on the door.
A man entered the bar, stood staring round before seeing John. With quick, precise strides he made his way to the table. The few patrons were staring at him, all conversations hushed into silence. Even the air conditioner had fallen silent, as if in deference to the man's rank and importance.
The full military blues drew every eye, the array of medals and ribbons dangling and catching the light even in the darkness of the bar. But more than that it was the fact this man just happened to be the current President of the remaining United States, alone without any escort or bodyguards which made people stare in wonder and awe and curiosity.
The man halted at the table, smiled at the staring boys. He smiled at Moira who was moving to her feet but with a gesture he halted her progress. He held out his hand, shook John's with firm familiarity. "Sheppard. Good to see you again and your family."
"Thank you, sir. Good to see you too."
"How was the trip?"
"A little rough, but we made it. Travel's getting awful dicey between our um, areas due to the power requirements. McKay's working on a solution but without additional ZPMs it might take some time."
"And time is something we don't really have. Is that not so, doctor?"
"Yes," Moira agreed as the man's steely blue gaze landed on her. "Although I haven't had a chance to take fuller readings yet and confer with the geologists," Moira added. "Boys," she whispered, as they were still staring rudely.
"It's all right, Moira." The man smiled at the boys. "Let me grab a Coke and join you. I want to hear all about these two guys."
John smiled. "Of course, President O'Neill. Please, join us."