A/N: Wow, sorry this has taken so long! I finally got some time to type this chapter up, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has stuck by this story! One more chapter and this segment of the Destiny series is done. Good news! I already have the first chapter of the next segment written! Just have to finish this one first! Reviews would be greatly appreciated on anything I can do to make this series any better!
Leviathan/ Chapter Four/ Test Flight Part
Zelanka smiled as his fingers flew over the keys, quickly bringing the engines online with a soft hum. From her position next to him, Samhain laughed.
"All lights are green and the engines are holding steady." Samhain announced. John grinned.
"Atlantis," The Colonel called out as he hit the radio button on his chair. "We have a go on our engines. Do we have permission to take him out for a stroll?"
"Permission granted Colonel Sheppard. Please be careful with it, it's brand new." Elizabeth joked, crossing her fingers.
"Don't worry; I'll be extra careful with it." John grinned, forgetting for a moment that Elizabeth couldn't see it. As he pressed another button, alarm bells started to sound outside the ship in the hanger. "All personnel not riding in the new ship need to steer clear of the embarkment area." John announced as the floor opened up underneath to the ocean below, a force field holding back the water.
"So now what?" Ronon questioned, his eyes glued to the view screen in front of them that showed the exit.
"Unlocking docking clamps." Samhain announced as way of an answer. Thuds were heard as the great metal clamps that held the Leviathan suspended were released and retracted. "Automatic embarkment, initialized." Sheppard turned around to ask what that was, but never got the chance.
The ship plunged head first into the ocean, phasing though the force field effortlessly. As soon as the tail was through, the bay doors closed behind them. The ship slithered through the liquid, graceful in its movements, and yet so powerful. Finally it came to a stop two miles away from Atlantis, and waited.
Inside the control room, everyone still held bated breaths. What was left of SGA-1 stared out the view screen in wonder, watching the alien fish as they swam by. Behind them Samhain and Zelanka flew into a frenzy as they checked over their instruments and equipment. SGA-1's gazes soon settled on them instead.
"Is everything alright?" Teyla asked, unsure of how to read their frenzied movements. Samhain looked up from the panels and grinned.
"Yes, it's working! Everything is working perfectly!" Samhain jumped for joy a little, her eyes shining with excitement. "The hull is showing no signs of any stress, the frame is holding steady, and all the engines are in the green, and all systems are working perfectly!" Samhain squealed, then grabbed Zelanka and kissed him. The kiss lasted for only a second before they broke apart and Samhain was back to working on her instrument panel.
"So, are we ready for a space flight?" John asked, as he grinned and gave a sly wink to the still flustered Czech. Zelanka merely nodded. "Alright, then what do you need me to do?" Samhain rushed over and sat at the navigation controls in front of John.
"Just tell me what coordinates you want."
"Put us in orbit around the planet." John told the navigator, and received a nod.
"All crew members are to report to their stations. We are about to exit the ocean and enter space." A mechanical female voice called out over the intercom.
"Engines set to lift, all lights still green." Zelanka reported. Samhain didn't say anything, only focused on the navigation controls in front of her. The ship gently glided towards the surface. As they broke the surface, a ripple went through the ship, jarring everyone, and knocked them down if they weren't seated, like Ronon and Teyla.
"You guys okay?" John asked as the ride smoothed out and they started passing through the atmosphere.
"Yeah, what was that?" Ronon inquired in Samhain's general direction as he stood up, helping Teyla to feet. Teyla sent a look to Zelanka that had the scientist wide-eyed and pointing towards the Ancient.
"The ship was simply adapting to the environment. It'll shift against as soon as we hit space." The Ancient explained as she calmly leaned back a little in her chair. "Which should be any moment now." Ronon and Teyla warily crouched down on the floor. Another ripple was felt, and then everything was still.
"We've achieved geosynchronous orbit, artificial gravity is on, life support is working perfectly, and all engines are green." Zelanka nodded in agreement as he went over his own console. Ronon and Teyla warily stood up.
"Couldn't you have warned us about the adaptations?" Ronon growled towards Samhain, who in turn didn't acknowledge him, only continued to stare at her screens. After a few seconds, the Ancient sighed, stood up, grabbed a portable tablet, and went and joined Zelanka.
"The transitions were supposed to be smooth." Samhain explained calmly as she went over data with the Czech. "Dr. Zelanka and I will have to take a closer inspection of the system to see why they're so rough." Ronon looked ready to say something else, probably something not nice, but was interrupted by Teyla.
"What is that?" Teyla asked the room at large as a white sheet of paper floated down from the ceiling. John got out of his seat and snatched the paper out of the air, grinning as he read what was on it.
"'Congratulations on not dying,'" John read. "'Be sure to check the transition valve, and remember, don't pick fights. Rodney.'"
"Don't pick fights? Can he predict the future now?" John asked himself as he reread the message.
"Actually it's more like the present." Zelanka commented as he pulled up an image on the main screen. It showed their solar system with them in the middle, and a Wraith cruiser on the outskirts. "My sensors are saying that they do not sense our presence."
"Are they a threat to Atlantis?" John asked as he switched to military commander.
"No, if they stay on their present course they will completely bypass the city." Zelanka answered after a moment.
"Samhain, does this thing have weapons?"
"Of course, but only a few drones are operational at the moment." Samhain answered. "You're not seriously thinking about taking this thing into battle are you?" John ignored the question.
"Do we have any shields or hyperdrive?"
"The shields are only at thirty percent, and the hyperdrive is still undergoing repairs. This ship is not ready for battle!" Samhain insisted, but John's eyes were glued to the cruiser on the screen.
"John," Teyla said as she came and stood next to him. "Let the wraith cruiser go by. If we engage it not only will we lose, but we will reveal Atlantis's location."
"'Don't pick fights.'" Ronon repeated as he nodded towards Rodney's note still in John's hand. John glanced down at the note, and sighed.
"Zelanka, take us back to Atlantis, slowly so as to not give away our position." Zelanka wordlessly followed his commands as Samhain took her previous seat. Ronon and Teyla once again crouched on the ground; one hand clamped down tight on John's chair, which caused Samhain to laugh silently.
"So, how was it?" Dr. Weir asked as the flight crew, minus one, all shuffled into the briefing room.
"Fine," John replied offhand as he sat down. "The ride was a little bumpy but that was about it."
"Good, now, where's Samhain?" Elizabeth asked as she noticed they were short an Ancient.
"I'm here," Samhain called as she ran into the room, her arms laden down with different papers, folders, and data pads. "It took me a while to track all this stuff down. As it was I had to look in five different rooms." The Ancient unceremoniously dumped it on one end of the horseshoe table.
"Samhain, I have just one question that's been bugging me for a while." John announced as they watched Samhain try to put her mess into some semblance of order.
"Alright, what is it?"
"How much of the ship wasn't sanctioned by the Council ten thousand years ago?" John asked a grin on his face. The other members of the expedition also seemed curious in the answer.
"Oh, about seventy-five percent of it, I think. It could be a little more. The Council cut off a lot of my funding near the end." Samhain answered as she pulled out a large rolled up piece of paper.
"I can believe that." John said under his breath, only loud enough for Ronon and Teyla to hear.
"What is that?" Zelanka asked, as he pushed up his glasses and indicated the paper in The Ancient's hand. Samhain grinned and unrolled it, revealing a blueprint of the entire ship.
"I thought the Ancients were paperless?" Elizabeth joked.
"We were I just didn't want to risk these plans getting out." Samhain explained smiling as Zelanka started inspecting the plan.
"How much of this did you get finished?" The Czech inquired, astonishment clear in his voice as his eyes roamed over the blueprint.
"Aside from what you've already seen, I got most of the weapons, and of course the main engines finished. After I'd ascended I used to sneak back down and work on him."
"Well, you've certainly accomplished a lot for one person in ten thousand years." Zelanka joked, sending a smile towards Samhain that was returned.
"With these new blueprints, how long will it take to finish Leviathan?" Dr. Weir asked her temporary Head of Science.
"A month, maybe less, looking at these blueprints, a lot more is done than we had initially thought."
"We just need to do a couple more weapons tests, calibrate the shields a little, and test the hyperdrive and Acuitus engines." Samhain helped explained as she studied the plans as well.
"Acuitus engine?" Elizabeth asked apprehensively.
"Yes, a secondary engine that functions much like the Arcturus project." Zelanka told his superior.
"You mean the one Rodney-"
"Used to blow us a solar system, yes." Samhain interrupted, sounding annoyed.
"Alright, get to it then. We received word while you were out that the Genii caused some problems for the Wraith, which bought us another two months before we have to deal with the them." Elizabeth told the group.
"What did the Genii do this time?" John asked, exasperated.
"They sent five suicide bombers onto the three hive ships during a culling. According to our sources, they did quite a bit of damage."
"Let's get this ship done fast so that we don't become that desperate." John said steely and through clenched teeth. Everyone quickly agreed and the two scientists bustled out of the room, arms laden with all the papers.