Inheriting Knowledge

By SciFiFantasyWriter1

Disclaimer: I own nothing of any recognized characters or universes within.

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Chapter 7

One Week Later on Atlantis…

In the past week Daedalus and Apollo had split up to defend worlds targeted by the replicators. Seven more replicator ships had been destroyed while the replicators had built another one leaving thirty ships active. Building ships so rapidly was a major power drain for the replicators. It had probably required the energy contained within two ZPMs plus a third to power the craft according to Jewel. The Atlurian replicator and her resources had proven very useful to Daniel. He had been hard at work developing his own version of a program to neutralize Jewel's angry relatives.

"You say the replicators are falling back?" Ellis clarified via video feed from his ship.

The same group that had participated in the briefing the week before prior to the trial run of the guerilla tactics were all present.

"Intel suggests they likely won't know how we are tracking them. They wouldn't suspect we have a working core tracking system drive," Sam explained.

"They don't want to lose any more ships," Daniel added.

"So they are regrouping around their home planet?" Caldwell queried.

"Yes," Sam answered.

"That seems like a good thing. With them in one place we can wipe them out all at once," Ellis suggested.

Jeannie actually snorted at this and she couldn't help but say, "Cocky much?"

"We have crushed the replicators at every turn. Granted they have started exiting hyperspace with shields up but we have been able to punch through pretty quickly," Ellis rebutted.

"With significant drain on your power systems," Rodney pointed out. "We know the capabilities of your ships, Colonel. You don't have the firepower to take on thirty ships with your two."

"Not to mention the drones that will come from the surface," John added.

"We have another option," Daniel announced.

"The shut down program?" Caldwell clarified.

"This is a different program that Daniel has been working on in a separate direction from what the others have been working on," Sam corrected. "It will essentially de-evolve the replicators."

"What the program does is removes all of the replicator's higher level independent thinking directives. They will essentially be so dumbed down they will only be capable of obeying our commands," Daniel explained. "The upside is that they will stop attacking. The downside is that they will be incapable of going out and attacking the wraith because they won't be creative enough. Think of the replicators like an army. I'll use the Romans as an example because it appeals to the archeologist in me. The replicator masses are legionaries. Without Centurions to direct them the legionaries are not organized enough to overcome the replicators. Oberoth couldn't form a good offense because he was the only Centurion."

"But at least it will stop the replicators from wiping out human worlds," Jeannie pointed out.

"And we will gain access to replicator resources," John added.

"It sounds like a great plan. What's the catch?" Ellis asked.

"The delivery system requires me to create a human form replicator," Daniel answered.

"That seems very…unwise," Caldwell pointed out.

"If we were creating the replicators the Ancient left us the template for then yes. I would agree with you," Daniel replied. "This will be a very stripped down version of the replicator intellect that will take commands from its creator. This delivery replicator will be much like what we will be turning the other replicators into, a legionnaire."

"Daniel can do what he says," Sam assured. "And I will be helping him along the way. General O'Neill has already given the go ahead. This is simply a courtesy notice."

"How will you deliver this replicator? It'll take a lot of ships to fight our way to the surface," Ellis pointed out.

"Or one completely stealthy ship," Rodney answered in sudden realization while looking at Sam and Daniel curiously.

Rodney like the other Atlantis higher ups knew the basics of the Cube-01 class of ships.

Sam nodded at Rodney and told the two visiting Colonels, "We have a means at our disposal to gain access to the replicator home world to deliver the replicator we create. Any further information is above your pay grade."

"All we have left to do is create the replicator," Daniel said.

"I would like to observe," Caldwell requested.

Sam nodded and the conference with Ellis was ended. Everyone present in fact wanted to observe so they headed towards a lab deep within Atlantis where Zelenka was already waiting.

"Fire it up, Radak," Sam instructed the man.

After Zelenka had punched out a control sequence on his tablet a silvery liquid nanite pool began growing in the bottom of the device shaped like a bed. The pool quickly started to change shape until the nanites took on a human form, a female human form. Eventually the color on the features changed until an attractive looking young female replicator appeared before the group. She blinked her eyes and then turned with her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. The replicator just sat there and didn't speak. There was no sense of intelligence about her like the other replicators the Expedition members had encountered.

"She looks like that girlfriend you had in college, Rodney," Jeannie suggested. "What was her name, Fran?"

"Yes, that was it," Rodney confirmed. "That also spells out Friendly Replicator Android."

"Fran it is," Daniel said.

"I don't know if I'm comfortable naming it," Caldwell stated.

"It will give us a good way to refer to her in later discussions," Sam pointed out.

"Fran, do you know your mission?" Daniel asked the replicator. Fran gave a short nod of her head in confirmation. "Are you prepared to carry out your mission?"

This received another nod from Fran.

"Can't she speak?" John queried.

"She can if it is required. But basic head signals will suffice for yes or no answers," Daniel explained.

"We have a delivery to make. We'll be back later. If you need to contact us you know how," Sam said to Rodney, Zelenka, and John.

With that Sam, Daniel, and Fran disappeared in the white of transporter light.

"Their ship is in orbit now?" Caldwell asked as his eyebrows went up.

"Yep," Rodney confirmed.

"We didn't detect anything," Caldwell admitted.

"That was the point," John said.

Just then John received a text request from Teyla to come visit her. The communicators had been updated with texting features on the newest model. John went off to see what his casual lover wanted.

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"Come in," Teyla called after her door had chimed.

John came into the room and sat beside Teyla on the bed.

"What's up?" John asked, wondering if Teyla was asking him to make a booty call.

Ever since that first time when they had been drunk and slept together a few months before John and Teyla had occasionally shared a bed. It was rather casual. Neither wanted more at that time. John was also sleeping with Larrin casually as well. John suspected Teyla and Larrin knew about each other but that much hadn't been discussed. It was hard to keep things secret on Atlantis.

"I am pregnant," Teyla stated.

She nervously pulled at her bed covering with her right hand, waiting for John's response.

"Oh," John said surprised. "How far along are you?"

"Three months," Teyla answered.

"I hate to ask this but we have been pretty casual. Are you sure it's mine?" John queried.

"Jennifer was able to confirm it with the scanners. It's a boy," Teyla explained. "I have not known how to tell you. But it has gotten to the point where you would have been able to start to tell."

"Yeah…I understand that," John said.

"So how do you feel about it?" Teyla asked.

"To be honest I'm still trying to process the idea," John admitted. "But I will help you raise it," He assured. "Do you need more from me?"

Teyla let out a wry smile and explained, "I have observed the intimate customs of your people to be unnecessarily complex. The peoples of this galaxy enjoy sex whenever possible for the most part for they could be fed upon by the wraith at any time. Only after being lovers for quite some time is further relationship development considered."

"So that's a no for now," John surmised.

"Indeed," Teyla confirmed.

"Are you aware that I am also sleeping with Larrin?" John asked.

"That is not uncommon," Teyla replied. "I do not mind."

The two talked for quite a bit of time longer about the logistics of the pregnancy and their interactions. As it turned out Teyla did want to get up to some more amorous activities. John certainly didn't mind. It was not a bad way for him to find out he would soon be a father.

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"Teyla is going to be taken off of active duty soon," Daniel informed his girlfriend as the Star Skimmer sped towards the replicator home world.

"Why?" Sam queried.

"She is three months pregnant with John's baby," Daniel replied.

"Well that is a bit surprising I must admit. I mean I know you told me they were sleeping together but I thought they would be using protection," Sam mused.

"I think they were drunk the first time they slept together," Daniel replied.

Sam internally marveled at her boyfriend's powers of observation. If he said Teyla was pregnant and the baby was John's she believed him without question.

"I admit it will be interesting seeing how Larrin and Teyla interact. It is one thing to say they don't mind sharing but another matter to practice polygamy," Daniel mused.

Daniel had explained the polygamous lifestyle most cultures in the Pegasus loosely practiced.

"I don't care if we are in the Pegasus galaxy. I am not sharing you," Sam stated.

Daniel gave her a grin and replied, "That works both ways. I don't have to share you."

"Agreed," Sam said.

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Daniel set the Star Skimmer to hover near the main tower. While Fran went back in-phase Daniel and Sam flew behind her into the tower out-of-phase. Oberoth was not present in the tower but many other replicators were. Fran walked up to one of the replicators as they all looked at her. She stuck her hand inside the other replicator. It happened at the speeds achievable by the fastest computing systems in the universe. One moment the replicators were the enemy of humanity and the next they were the servants. Fran pulled her hand free and turned to face the couple who came back into-phase.

"What are your instructions?" Fran questioned the couple.

The replicators were set to only take instructions from Daniel and Sam. Daniel's orders would have priority but it wasn't really an issue.

"Keep all of your forces withdrawn to this world. Build more ships but use the updated design I have stored in your memory labeled Avenger-01 Class. Make as many of these vessels as you can. Harm no humans further at this time," Daniel instructed.

"It will be done," Fran answered.

Through Fran, Daniel would have a direct link to all replicator systems on Asura Prime (the replicator home world). Sam and Daniel took off to return to the Star Skimmer.

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"It is done," Sam informed Rodney, John, and Caldwell over their communicators.

"So what will we do with the thirty ships?" Rodney asked.

"General O'Neill is formulating a plan now. You will know more when I do," Sam replied.

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January 11th 2008…

Sam watched as her boyfriend revived the wraith they had decided to call Todd. As the stasis effects fell away and Todd came awake she tensed, holding her weapon just a little bit tighter.

"Why have you awoken me?" Todd asked, struggling to sit up even though he was weak. Todd had not fed in a long time. "Are you going to kill me now?"

"No, but you cannot continue on as you are," Daniel said while reaching out and putting his hand on Todd's chest.

Todd did not react for a moment except to tense up and then he was screaming. Daniel was screaming too as a purple light originating from his hand enveloped Todd. The wraith writhed in agony for several minutes and Daniel began to sweat, grimacing in pain. Finally the light faded and Todd didn't look like Todd anymore. He still had wraith-like qualities in that his skin was a darker shade of green than a human's skin. His eyes were no longer wraith shaped but somewhere between a human and a wraith. He also no longer had wraith teeth. His teeth were slightly sharper human teeth.

"What have you done to me?" Todd asked weakly, his tone having lost some of its former resonant quality.

"You are no longer wraith yet aren't quite human. I lessened the effects of the eratus bug. You can no longer feed through your hand. You aren't immortal anymore. But you will live several human lifetimes," Daniel explained, trying to catch his breath.

Sam didn't lower her weapon as she slowly approached Todd, staring at him in fascination. Todd may have been incapable of feeding but that didn't mean he wouldn't attack to seek vengeance. Todd stared at his hand which he had formerly used to feed through.

"I don't know if I should thank you or hate you," Todd admitted. "I have known for some time that my kind could not survive as we did before. There simply aren't enough humans to go around. But I don't like how weak I feel, how mortal I feel."

"Perhaps in time you will figure out how to clone your bodies and transfer your consciousnesses without suffering genetic degradation," Daniel suggested.

Todd's gaze snapped to the two scientists and his expression was questioning.

"We can clone without degradation," Todd admitted. "But we cannot transfer our consciousness."

"Really," Sam said, interested while cautiously lowering her weapon but still ready to train it on the former wraith again at a moment's notice. "We can do the opposite. We can transfer consciousnesses without problem but long term cloning presents genetic degradation problems."

"It makes sense that your species would be the best we have encountered at cloning because yours is the best we have encountered at bio-engineering," Daniel pointed out. "If you help us perhaps we could make a perfect cloning system and share the technology."

"I already wanted to help you stop the replicators," Todd pointed out.

"Not with the replicators," Sam corrected. "We already dealt with them."

Todd's eyebrows (he actually had eyebrows now) shot up in surprise.

"Then what do you seek my help with?" Todd queried.

"We need to know how to stop the wraith from overwhelming us with numbers like they did the Ancients. Tell us how they did it the last time?" Daniel probed.

"We have a cloning facility. A queen could make a few dozen perfect warrior drones to use as templates. She would then have them cloned millions of times over. The one setback to using the facility is the power required to run it. It takes three zero point modules," Todd explained.

"You got them from Ancient warships last time," Sam surmised.

"Yes. The Ancients were arrogant and we were able to overwhelm isolated ships. We lost a great many wraith and ships doing it. When I came here I knew of another movement to gain enough ZPMs to power the facility. Two had been collected already. Perhaps the third has been taken as well," Todd explained.

"Do you have a location for this facility?" Daniel questioned.

"Of course," Todd said with a feral grin.

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"What is this meeting about?" Rodney asked as he sat down in the main briefing room.

As John was the last one to take his seat Sam activated the holographic projector which shot a hologram of a planet into the center of the room.

"This is why you have been called here," Sam announced. "More specifically you have been called here to be briefed on a plan to take out this facility," She continued as the hologram zoomed into a particular part of the planet and a massive wraith structure unlike any those present had come across before. "This is the cloning facility which allowed the wraith to defeat the Ancients in the last war. Daniel," Sam prompted her boyfriend.

Then Daniel explained what the couple had learned of the history of the cloning facility including its power systems.

"How did you come by this Intel and what is to stop the wraith from just rebuilding this cloning facility elsewhere?" John asked.

"The Intel source was Todd," Sam replied. "I will let him answer the second part of your question," She added as Todd was transported into a seat.

John and Ronan had their weapons on the wraith in a heartbeat. Then the two men like the rest of those present noticed the differences in Todd.

"What has happened to him?" Teyla asked.

"I am no longer wraith. I cannot feed," Todd said as he held up what was formerly his feeding hand.

"Let's not get distracted from this meeting," Sam said. "Put your weapons away gentlemen. Todd, John asked why this facility simply won't be rebuilt."

"The cloning outpost took the combined efforts of most of our queens during the last war. It took all the resources under their control. Now with the food shortage the queens will be warring with each other. In addition once these three ZPMs are out of the equation more would have to be obtained," Todd explained.

"Using the sensor protocol through the gate we have been able to determine that the facility is operating at full capacity but the power transmission techniques being used by the wraith make the distributed energy hard to sense through," Daniel informed his colleagues.

"Of course. Wraith power transmission would be highly inefficient at power levels a ZPM can put out. They would need to beef up the conduits and the leakage would be tremendous even then," Rodney said.

Todd nodded his agreement.

"And to stop them from gaining access to anymore ZPMs Fran has constructed these for all remaining ZPMs," Sam said while holding a small sphere the size of a marble in her hand. "These are composed of liquid nanites and will absorb into the ZPMs. If a wraith system tries to access a ZPM, then that ZPM will be explosively overloaded if this failsafe isn't disabled first."

"Brilliant," Jeannie commented.

"I take it we are going after the ZPMs and not simply hitting the cloning facility from orbit," Ronan surmised.

"Yes. Even though we have access to a great many ZPMs now we aren't simply going to let three of them go. Besides that, hitting the facility from orbit with ZPMs inside will probably take out the entire planet. We can power three more warships or even a city ship with the ZPMs in that facility," Sam answered.

"Five of the replicators under Fran's control have been upgraded to what we call Centurion class. This means they are decently intelligent enough to follow orders and can command other lower replicators, Legionnaire class. Xan, one of the Centurions will be bringing a team of four Legionnaires on this mission to provide backup. John, you and your team will be going too. Daniel and Todd will also be on this mission. You will take a stealth ship Daniel will pilot to the planet. Three Aurora class warships will be waiting for the completion of the mission to hit the facility from orbit. Are there any questions?" Sam asked.

There were none. Sam nodded and dismissed the group after telling everyone to be ready in the gate room in an hour.

"Can I ride along and stay on the stealth ship?" Jeannie asked Sam.

"Sure. You know what…I can command just as easily from the Star Skimmer as I can from here. I will go along too and stay onboard the ship," Sam said.

"I thought you might want to," Daniel said from behind his lover.

Sam turned and gave her boyfriend a grin, "You know me too well."

"I should," Daniel replied. "Let's go get geared up. We will see you in the gate room, Jeannie."

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The Star Skimmer shot out of hyperspace and hurtled through the star system that was its target until it came to the fourth planet from the system's star. The stealthy craft quickly navigated the atmosphere of the planet until the target wraith facility came into sight.

"Damn that is big," Jeannie commented.

"It certainly would have taken a while to grow," Sam mused as she set the ship down.

"A hive was converted into that," Todd commented.

The strike team began to depart within moments of landing. Todd knew approximately the location in the massive facility where the ZPMs would be located. As Teyla left the ship with the away team Jeannie passed Sam some cash.

"I really thought John wasn't going to let her come on the mission," Jeannie grumbled good-naturedly.

"The threat of no sex can make a man do a lot of things they normally wouldn't," Sam assured.

Meanwhile the team had gotten the door open to the facility in short order thanks to Centurion Xan interfacing with the bio-tech.

"These guys are definitely handy to have around," John admitted as the replicator team spread out around the mortal members of the team.

"This way," Todd said as he took off down a corridor.

"What is down that corridor?" Teyla asked as she sensed a strong presence down the side corridor she was pointing at.

"The queen. I can sense her presence even while she is in her birthing state," Todd replied.

"How exactly do your queens get impregnated?" John asked curiously.

"Just like humans, John," Daniel answered before Todd could. "Through sex."

"With one difference. After mating with a queen our males do not survive," Todd added.

"Like a praying mantis," Rodney suggested. "The female bites the male's head off at the end of sex."

"In this case our queen drains the life out of her mate," Todd replied.

The group passed several glowing membranous tubes which pulsed rhythmically.

"Those are growing wraith I take it," Daniel said.

"Indeed," Todd answered.

At one point in their journey the group came close to being discovered.

"Wraith," Teyla hissed in warning.

The group quickly entered a side corridor as they heard several beings approaching. Xan signaled one of his replicators who turned his back to the corridor with wraith. A glowing energy field went up and covered the open corridor emanating from the replicator's back. The one way cloaking barrier was designed to blend in with the surrounding wall. It was slightly transparent on the side of the hiding strike team. A wraith commander and two drones came walking into sight. The commander came to a stop and peered towards what looked to him like a blank section of wall. Nobody among the strike team made a sound. The energy barrier had sound dampening properties but wouldn't completely block a loud noise.

Xan stood ready to pounce. Ronan raised his weapon and had it pointed directly at the wraith commander's face. After several tense moments the commander seemed to lose interest in whatever had caught his attention and turned and moved on.

"That was rather close," Rodney whispered two minutes after the wraith had left.

"Let's keep moving," Daniel suggested.

The strike team continued on their way.

"This place is enormous," Rodney half stated and half whined twenty minutes later.

"Do you know what is down that corridor?" Teyla asked Todd, indicating a branching corridor. "I feel something odd that way."

"I believe it is where new darts are being grown. This is what you need to perfect your cloning process," Todd explained while indicating several cloning pods built into a wall.

The group was passing through an empty cloning bay. Daniel used a portable scanner to catalogue the pertinent wraith systems and target what would need to be transported out. When he was done he sent the data back to the Star Skimmer.

"I have it. Let's move on," Daniel said.

Todd said to Sheppard a few minutes later, "Your female is perceptive to the ways of the wraith hive mind. She seems unusually strong."

"It's because she is pregnant," Daniel replied. "I take it the wraith have studied her kind?"

"Yes, after the experimentations that led to their breed got loose they were studied in detail. Now they are eradicated when discovered but they are rare," Todd answered. "It has been some time since one was studied."

Daniel and John both thought this information was interesting but for different reasons.

"Is the trait passed down to the children?" John asked.

"They were never allowed to live long enough after capture to find out," Todd admitted.

"There is a very good chance," Daniel added.

"The ability has made its presence known in my family every few generations but it isn't constant," Teyla interjected, having overheard part of their conversation.

"Here it is," Todd changed the subject as he started recognizing the power distribution systems needed for ZPMs in wraith technology.

The group sped up and only moments later entered a room where three glowing ZPMs were located.

"That almost seemed too easy," John mused.

The others looked at John incredulously.

"Now you've jinxed us," Rodney exclaimed.

As if on cue stunner fire began issuing from around the curve in the corridor. Xan and his team spread out in front of the group absorbing fire.

"The queen is here," Teyla said with strain.

Daniel and Todd both sensed something was going on with Teyla telepathically. Daniel wasn't sure how he knew it was telepathy because so far he hadn't shown he was capable of the trait in an overt sense. But he was sure. The stunner fire stopped suddenly.

"What happened?" Ronan asked in confusion.

"Teyla is fighting the queen mentally. Grab the ZPMs," Daniel ordered even as Todd shut down the systems drawing power from the energy modules. "She won't be able to hold off the queen's will for long."

The modules were withdrawn by Rodney and John. John kept throwing a sweating Teyla concerned glances but soon the Star Skimmer was hovering overhead. A pulse of shimmering golden energy shot through the surrounding bio-tissue of the wraith structure. Then the group was gone in a flash of transporter light.

"We got the cloning pods," Jeannie announced.

"I'm getting us the hell out of here. That stunner worked great," Sam added as she flew the Star Skimmer towards orbit.

The stunner was the golden energy which had washed over the wraith structure. The device was designed to disable localized regions of wraith bio-tech like a localized anesthetic. The stunner had disabled any jamming tech the wraith might have been utilizing against transport. Even as the Star Skimmer reached orbit they saw wraith hives exploding. Then the replicator ships began firing drones down on the wraith cloning outpost.

"Well that's a beautiful sight," Ronan admitted.

"I don't think I've ever heard you use the word beautiful in all the time I have known you," John told his friend.

"He just loves explosions," Teyla teased Ronan as she sat and recovered her breath. "Taking on a wraith queen telepathically is not an easy task."

"I'll bet," John replied. "You should lie down."

"You can use one of the vacant crew quarters," Daniel suggested. "I'll show you."

Daniel led the couple off of the Star Skimmer's bridge and to one of the rooms adjacent to the one he shared with Sam when they slept on the spacecraft.

"Thank you," Teyla told Daniel as she and her concerned lover entered the room.

As Daniel turned to walk back towards the bridge he heard, "Daniel, come here."

Daniel turned to his right and saw Sam standing in the doorway to their quarters.

"What are you doing up here?" Daniel queried as he stepped closer to Sam.

The blonde woman pulled Daniel into her arms and embraced him in a hug.

With her head against his shoulder she said, "I was worried about you down there on that mission. I know you can take care of yourself. But I still worry."

"I understand," Daniel assured. "I worry about you sometimes too when I'm not with you."

Sam drew back from the hug and guided Daniel to the bed until they were sitting on the side. She kicked off her shoes and then scooted back against the pillows. She held out her arms in a clear signal for her boyfriend to come closer. Dispensing of his shoes Daniel laid back into Sam's arms. She ran her hands through his hair, enjoying the moment.

"I love you so much, Daniel," Sam whispered.

"I love you too," Daniel replied. "You rock my world, my universe."

Sam quirked a smile down at her boyfriend.

"It's the moments like these that we get to enjoy, just the two of us, that really make life enjoyable," Sam mused.

"Indeed," Daniel said. "You know…even though Teal'c isn't here with us all of the indeeds we throw about make me think he is about."

"His last email was good. I think he and Ishta are really happy together," Sam stated.

"I think Ry'ac would be happier if Teal'c took a more active role in the government. But I think Teal'c prefers the liaison role between the Free Jaffa Nation and Earth rather than complete leadership," Daniel suggested.

"He deserves whatever happiness he can get after everything that went on since we first picked him up on Chulak," Sam said.

"So do we," Daniel asserted as he turned in Sam's embrace and stared intently into his lover's brilliant blue eyes.

"Indeed," Sam said with a grin before pressing her lips to her boyfriend's.

No more words were exchanged as Daniel and Sam began making love which took up the remainder of their time on the trip back to Atlantis.

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January 18th 2008…

Sam and Daniel approached the transporter near their quarters and spotted Technician Sharon Taylor approaching the same location.

"Colonel, Doctor," Sharon greeted.

"Sharon, where are you going?" Sam asked.

"The control room," Sharon answered.

"That is where we are going as well. We can share," Daniel offered.

The trio waited for another pair of people to exit the transporter before they entered. Just after the doors had closed and Daniel was bringing up the control display to enter the destination an alarm began blaring in Atlantis. The sound of doors beginning to slam shut could be heard from within the transporter booth.

"That is the quarantine alarm," Sharon stated.

"Rodney, this is Sam. Report," Sam ordered into her communicator, dialing up a multi-channel communication between Rodney, John, and Dr. Keller.

"I would love to report but I am afraid that I am stuck in the botany lab away from a computer," Rodney stated. "I have limited access to Atlantis' systems through my communicator."

"I am sitting at a computer," John reported. "Teyla and I are in your lab, Rodney."

"I am going to have to walk you through figuring out the cause for the lockdown. This could take a while," Rodney cautioned.

"Jennifer and I will cut off this channel then until you have figured something out. Jennifer, if this is an epidemic then you should be prepared to receive patients," Sam advised.

"Understood," Jennifer answered. "Jeannie is here with me. We will be ready."

Sam ended the communication.

"Maybe we can pry the doors open," Sharon suggested.

"Transporter doors are a lot lighter than the other doors on Atlantis," Sam pointed out, knowing her logic should cover up any use of her boyfriend's greater strength.

Daniel nodded and went over to the door. He slowly pried the door open, grunting as if he was expending a great effort mostly for show. The magnetic control on the door should have kept it shut but he overpowered it. The trio stepped out into the hallway and found the doors between each different branching hallway sealed.

"Sam, according to the computer it is a category five quarantine," Rodney's voice came out of Sam's communicator to report.

"I have never heard of a disease that would spread that rapidly," Sam replied.

"I know. The system is fluctuating taking subsystems like long range communications on and offline. Something is screwed up. John and I are going to have to sift through it. It would be a lot easier if I was at a computer myself," Rodney said in frustration.

While Sam was talking Daniel was communicating with the Star Skimmer through his neural link with the ship.

"The shield has been raised and a dampening field to suppress transporters is active," Daniel reported. "It looks like we might have to do this the old fashioned way."

Daniel's sword flowed into his hand and solidified. He walked to the nearest door and brought the weapon clean through the Ancient alloy with a screeching slice. It took several more swipes to make a hole large enough to fit through. They weren't going to be prying open these doors as easily as the doors for the transporter. The corridor doors were meant to keep people isolated under quarantine conditions.

"Rodney, we are heading your way. It will take us a while. We have to cut through each door one by one," Sam advised.

"Acknowledged," John and I will keep working.

"Umm…this may be a stupid question but aren't you two perfectly qualified to see what the problem is?" Sharon queried.

"We probably could. But if I'm reading between the lines of Rodney's report correctly then this might just be related to the tweaking he has been doing of Atlantis' security protocols," Sam explained.

"Of course Rodney McKay could never admit that he screwed up outright," Daniel muttered.

"Therefore Rodney will be the best person to know how to undo the changes he made," Sam said.

"We have a problem here," Rodney's voice came back over the communicator at that moment. "John said the self-destruct just went active before his connection to Atlantis' network shut down. When the city detected you breaching doors it must have set the city to explode."

"How long," Sam prompted.

"Forty-seven minutes," Rodney answered.

"I can override the self-destruct. We are near a terminal able to do that. But you will have to fix the screwed up system, Rodney," Daniel replied.

"Oh good…we aren't going to die," Rodney said with a sigh of relief.

"Not today," Daniel assured. After the communications were turned off again Daniel really began to work up a sweat. "Damn, hacking through doors isn't easy. Hopefully you ladies won't mind if I get a little more comfortable."

Daniel removed his shirt showing off all the muscle his sparring and workouts had earned him over the years.

"No complaints from this girl, handsome," Sam said.

"Yum…I mean…I don't mind," Sharon stuttered glancing nervously at Sam.

"Your reaction doesn't bother me, Sharon. A yum is appropriate," Sam assured with a grin. As her boyfriend continued to cut through doors Sam decided to distract him from the task with conversation. "I forgot to tell you…Rodney was planning on proposing to Katie."

"What?!" Daniel asked in surprise as he turned and looked shocked at his girlfriend. "Rodney is nowhere near ready for marriage."

"No kidding. Jeannie showed me a picture of the ring he had picked out. It was an eighth of a carat," Sam said.

Sharon snorted with disbelief at that revelation.

"He is so clueless," Sharon said.

"I assume Jeannie set him straight?" Daniel queried.

"Boy did she set him straight. Jeannie proceeded to list the reasons he wasn't ready for marriage and told him in no uncertain terms that he was to let Katie off easy," Sam explained.

Sam and Daniel both dropped into silence at the same time and stared off into the distance, a fact that wasn't lost on Sharon.

"Oh," Sam said.

"Wow," Daniel added.

"What?" Sharon asked.

Daniel and Sam exchanged a look and Sam said, "It's nothing. Something the sensors of one of our orbiting vessels was reading surprised us."

By this point the extra ships Atlantis command had access to were a well known "secret" that the expedition members were aware of. It was a secret in that everyone on the city-ship knew but not many other beings in Pegasus or Milky Way knew.

"What could have been so startling?" Sharon asked worriedly.

Picking up on the worried tone of the Technician's voice and realizing she thought some new danger was being detected Daniel tried to reassure her.

"We are monitoring the health status of everyone in the city passively through the sensors. There are actually several couples having sex while trapped together right now. Two of the people who we thought were completely straight just proved us otherwise," Daniel explained.

"Oh," Sharon said in surprise.

"And that is all we will say on that matter because it is their prerogative if they want to explore," Sam added.

The two people in question who were exploring their sexuality were Jennifer Keller and Jeannie McKay. Sam knew for a fact that Jeannie liked men too so the younger McKay was evidently bisexual. Sam was surprised about this new facet of her friend but wouldn't let it affect her too much. The trio came across a terminal at that point and Daniel began shutting down the self-destruct.

While they waited Sam asked Sharon, "So Sharon, any men you are interested in on base?"

"There are quite a few prime choices to pick from," Sharon admitted.

"You do have a point," Sam agreed with a grin. Daniel raised one eyebrow as he glanced at his girlfriend. "What…I can look," Sam said with a teasing grin. "You are allowed to look too."

"I have no need because I have the perfect woman as a girlfriend already," Daniel said with a completely straight face. "Though, I appreciate the permission."

"I hope he is as good with his tongue where it counts as he is at forming eloquent words," Sharon whispered to Sam.

"Better," Sam assured in an equally quiet tone.

"Yum," Sharon said.

"Alright. That problem is taken care of. Let's continue moving," Daniel suggested as he moved away from the terminal.

"Man, a Tollan phase shifting device would really come in handy right about now," Sam mused.

"Definitely," Daniel agreed.

"I read about them," Sharon said. "I heard the Tollan were wicked badass in the Milky Way during the years the Goa'uld were active."

"Up until their destruction," Sam said with a slightly pained tone.

Sharon couldn't pick up on Sam's feelings on the Tollan because the technician didn't know the astrophysicist very well but Daniel certainly could.

"I was just starting at the SGC as a night Technician during the early days of the Ori war," Sharon explained. "I have never said this to either of you but your reputation around the SGC was legendary."

"Oh…do tell?" Sam said, her tone turning from pained to bemused at the change of topic.

"Just about everyone at the SGC was drooling over you two. Some of the guys were even drooling over you Dr. Jackson. And a lot of women were hot for you, Colonel," Sharon announced. "With how often you came back from the dead everyone thought you were like an immortal from that show Highlander, Dr. Jackson."

Sam snorted and teased, "He does have the sword."

"And he uses it very well," Sharon complimented admiringly.

"And you, Colonel…everyone thought you could MacGyver your way through any situation," Sharon said. "All you needed was a Ha'tak and you blew up a damn star!"

"Blowing up that star was a little harder than you make it sound," Sam mused.

"I know. But you two still did things no human has done before," Sharon explained. "And if anything your legend has grown since your SGC days. Now that you are together it's like you are the ultimate power couple. It would be like if Superman and Wonder Woman got together."

"I have never been compared to Superman before," Daniel said with a roguish grin.

"I think out of any fictional character you could be compared to it would be Indiana Jones," Sam suggested.

"Indiana Jones can eat his heart out. I have gotten my girl," Daniel declared.

"Does he have a whip?" Sharon asked just as Daniel cut through the last door holding Rodney in.

"It's about time you guys got here," Rodney said with a huff.

"Be nice Rodney or I will go liberate Jeannie next," Daniel threatened.

"Alright, alright," Rodney relented. "Let's see what havoc has been wrought with the city's systems," He said while sitting down at the lab's terminal and beginning to look through the city's network.

Rodney had been cut off from the portion of the lab which held the computer terminal until Daniel had freed him.

"Yes, let's see," Sam agreed as she and Daniel sat on either side of Rodney.

"What…you are not going to watch me are you?" Rodney asked.

"Of course we are," Daniel assured.

"Three pairs of eyes are better than one," Sam suggested.

Rodney squirmed. He didn't want it to be known that any system changes he had made might have caused the lockdown. If nobody was watching he could cover it up.

"It could take a while," Rodney suggested.

"You had best get to it then, Rodney. We aren't going anywhere," Sam urged.

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"Well you are in the clear, Rodney," Daniel said as doors all over the city opened up.

"So it wasn't him screwing with the city's systems then?" Sharon queried.

"No. It seems Atlantis' systems weren't shielded against some unusual storms in the ionosphere. We can shield the city's controls now that we know about these problems. The city's energy shield has temporarily been brought up until the physical shielding can be implemented," Sam explained.

Rodney let loose a sigh of relief.

"If you had been responsible I was going to have Jeannie check all your work," Sam informed Rodney.

"As if she would be capable," Rodney said dismissively.

"I will tell her you said that," Sam assured.

"You are joking, right?" Rodney said with a less self assured tone as everyone began leaving the lab. "Right?"

Sam gave Rodney a smirk but didn't respond verbally.

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January 25th 2008…

Six wine glasses clinked together before being drawn back to six sets of lips.

"To another fine year of training," Flora stated.

"Here here," Rodney said.

"The medical supplies you have given us over the past several years have made an immeasurable difference to our people," Flora said.

"Not to mention your warning last harvest that the wraith were nearby," Flora's sister Mardola added.

"Well we have much more to offer your people," Sam suggested.

"Such as?" Flora prompted.

Daniel used a palm size holographic projector to project images into the air in front of the group.

"Indoor plumbing to transport waste away from where you live and deal with it sanitarily, electricity and appliances, even greater medical care for those of your people who visit one of our outposts, and most importantly aid in fighting the wraith should they ever come here," Daniel explained.

"And what would you ask of us in return? Surely our people do not possess anything which could equal what you are offering," Mardola said.

"You would be surprised. Give us a chance to look around and I think you will find your planet has more to offer than you realize," Sam said.

John and Rodney were staring at the leading couple of Atlantis with extreme curiosity now. The truth was that Daniel and Sam had found reference in the database to that planet being involved in weapons research. The references hadn't been very specific but the tidbits that had been revealed were enough to pique the interest of the couple.

"Of course. Perhaps while you are doing this John and Rodney would be so kind as to escort our younger sister on a journey. It's no more than a day's walk. She has been chosen to be the next queen and needs to make this pilgrimage to the ruins. But we do not want her to go alone. It will be expected from our people that she go alone. But Harmony shouldn't go alone," Flora explained.

"They would be happy to," Sam agreed.

"Yes, we would," Rodney agreed, thinking Harmony would be another attractive princess.

"We will go get her then," Flora said before she and her sister left the room.

"Rodney, are you sure you are ready to jump back into things so soon after Katie?" Daniel asked with one raised eyebrow.

Rodney and Katie Brown's relationship had just ended somewhat amicably.

"It won't be a problem," Rodney assured. "Besides this wouldn't be a relationship. Perhaps just a fling."

Just then Mardola, Flora, and Harmony returned. Harmony was a rather young looking fourteen.

"Have fun on your journey gentlemen," Sam said with amusement dancing across her face, carefully masked of course.

"Thanks," John replied, his tone not sounding grateful in the least.

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Rev 0 Published 1/13/2019