The Descent of Wraith7

Silence. The word hung in the air. The only noise was the bubbling in the tank behind them. John shifted his stance slightly, taking a step closer to his wife and son. "Are you saying the Ancients made war on their own?"

"Yes, colonel. Do your people not do the same? In this case they deliberately tried to eradicate us. Exterminate what they made us. Introduced the killing gene into the male germline, as you call it. To eradicate the female of the species."

"Of course. In some way only the XY carriers, the males would have the antidote, not the XX carriers, the females," Moira realized. "You kill the females you effectively kill the species. There can't be a thriving population. And those that were left were exiled here. Left to die in the outer regions...but you didn't die."

"No. We evolved. Found a way with the enzyme harvested from the bugs. As we evolved we lost the ATA, however. We became a genetically modified population, two populations, initially. Those with the ATA, those without. Those more mutated...they thrived."

"Splitting selection," Moira noted softly. "Into two species. Ancient and Wraith, but the allele frequency of the new gene variant split you even further. Adaptation to your new environment. Evolution. The transferring selection to survive, to evolve into an entirely new species away from the Ancients, from everything. They fed off the ones who were the least affected, didn't they?" Badly nodded, sadness in his eyes. "They fed and evolved. They became the Wraith. They developed two ways to breed, with unfertilized cells developing into haploids which are all males. The drones. Having only one chromosome. And diploids, females having two chromosomes to carry on the species...maybe even with human reproduction for the higher life forms, the more intelligent, more human-like ones. Developed a way to sustain your lives on the life force of others because that was all there was out here. No food, no water, nothing. You were left to die and instead you evolved into the Wraith..."

John was frowning. Moira's voice was soft, full of wonder. Her brown eyes full of sympathy, understanding as she worked through the science. The discovery. The baby in her arms was fussing a little, looked at his father. "Whatever. Back to the point. Those things you are creating. We know how you are doing it and it has to stop."

"No, John, that is the point, isn't it?" Moira argued, shaking her head. "'The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, is one of degree and not of kind.' Darwin said that in his Descent of Man, and I think it applies here as well. However artificially and tragically created the Wraith evolved into a natural species out here. Developed amazing capabilities, such as prolonged hibernation, rejuvenating and regenerative powers, a way to feed that is both terrifying and remarkable. And psychic abilities beyond what mere humans can achieve. Not to mention their own hybrid societies and technology and language and even culture! You are trying to turn back the clock to save her, but you are doing it the wrong way."

"Moira," John warned.

"You are only transforming the genetic switches to create an earlier Wraith, but you are accessing only one part of the genome."

"Moira, no," John's voice was more insistent, but she ignored him.

"You need to access both parts of the genome," she informed, caught up in the discovery, the science, the wonder, "both human and Iratus bug to effectively find the first ones, the ones who were not as mutated, who did not evolved into the full Wraith we know today. The ones who would still possess the ATA. You need a fully human DNA sample integrated with the double ATA to effectively block the other switches, to destroy the Medea gene and to turn back the clock! You need..." She froze abruptly.

John stepped in front of his wife and son, gun aimed at Baldy's heart as he smiled. "There's no fucking way you are getting him! Move back now!"

Baldy kept smiling. "You don't understand, colonel, but your wife does. I already have him. We're the same, that child and I. There's nothing you can do about that."

"No! He is not the same as you and never will be! Now stay back or I will shoot you!"

There was a violent sloshing in the tank. John whirled as did Moira. Suddenly Baldy was behind Moira, grabbing her. Yanking her backwards as if to make her drop the baby. "John!" she cried, struggling to be free, struggling to keep hold of the startled infant in her arms. The floor shifted under their feet, as if the moon was suddenly experiencing an tremor. John couldn't fire, couldn't risk it as he steadied himself.

"Dada! Dada!" the baby cried, pointed at the tank, beyond it. "Rosetum terribilis. Respice finem!"

Alarms were ringing. The ship lurched violently. Lights flashed. "Status!" barked Steven.

"We're being pulled towards the gravitational mass!" Rodney shouted, adjusting controls. "We need to compensate for the increased inertia, hold on!"

"Can you find them?" Evan asked.

"Hang on! I'm reading...yes! Two, no, three, no four, no five life signs but the readings are sporadic! Too much interference! The–"

"Hold on, veer aft now!" Steven ordered. The ship lurched as it was shaken violently.

"We're too close! There's no way we can land like they did! I'm reading the ship is one of those canyons!" Rodney announced.

"We have to get down there!" Ronon argued, hand on his gun. Hating the feeling of being helpless, ineffectual.

"We can beam them out, right?" Evan asked, making his way to the command chair where Steven sat. Issuing orders as the technicians swarmed to correct the ship's flight, to shield it.

"No! Too much inteference! We'd only get half of them, or worse!"

"Then beam us down to them!" Teyla suggested. "We will take the risk!"

"Can't! The best we could do is to beam us near their ship, then enter like they did!"Rodney barked. Straightened. Moved to navigation. "Hold this course and keep the shield up until you hear from me! Got it? Keep on this exact course or you will be pulled into the gravitational well and swallowed like a bug! Let's go! Come on!" he shouted, grabbing a gun from a startled marine and moving to Teyla and Ronon. Both smiled.

"You heard the man, let's go!" Carson agreed, joining the group as did a group of marines.

"On my mark. Go," Steven ordered. Watched the rescue team dissipate in a beam of light.

John stared. He wasn't sure if he was more surprised at the Latin words issuing from his infant son or the fact that he completely understood them. His mind instantly translating. A terrible garden of roses, look to the end. He looked at the tank, past the red waters, the nude body, the wires and valves. To the rosy end. Past the woman's feet, the engorged Iratus bug.

He fired his weapon.

"NO!" Baldy screamed, momentarily releasing Moira. She flung herself out of his reach, clutching the baby to her.

The bullet pierced the glass. A strange hissing sound emanated. Then crack after crack after crack split across the glass. Still holding. Still intact. Until a sudden rocking motion of the floor made the glass shatter. Explode outwards, vomited glass shards, fluids and wires.

Moira spun, dropped, shielding the baby. Water hit her, a wave propelling her towards a bank of equipment as she slid on the tilting floor. John whirled, dove towards his wife and son to protect them but Baldy intervened, smashing into him. Propelling him backwards onto the floor towards the shattered tank. Into the mess of fluids and tissues and bugs. John managed to fling Baldy off him but fell back again as the woman emerged from the tank.

He stared, spellbound for a moment, drenched in fluids and bug gore. Staring up as the naked woman took delicate steps out of the shattered tank. Water sluicing down her bare skin, her red hair a tangled mess along her arms, her sides, her breasts. Water dripping from between her legs, along her thighs to her feet. Gills gasping at her sides as her mouth opened to take in breaths of air. Lungs working. Sharp, pointed teeth glinted between ruby lips. Her eyes were amber, human but slitted oddly. She stepped towards John as wires were still attached to her, pumping fluids into her.

"John! John!" Moira cried, moving to her knees, turning to see him frozen in place. The baby was crying loudly in her arms but was unharmed.

John was about to reply, to move as her words jolted him when the woman flung herself onto him. Fetid breath choked him. The woman slammed him onto his back with tremendous force. The gun flew from his fingers, was gone. A hand closed around his throat. The other clawed open his shirt, clawed away the material. Raised to reveal a primitive sucker was that gaping wide, ready to attack. To feed.

"No!" Moira scrambled, eying the equipment. Unable to intervene as the baby clung, crying loudly. She reached the controls. "John! Hold on! Johnny, Johnny, here, here, please!" she cried, recalling the words. The dials were all red, glowing, blooming like roses. A terminal where all the wires met, all the feeding tubes were supplied. "Johnny, Johnny, here! Help daddy! Help daddy!" She lunged to grab them. The baby did the same, exclaiming suddenly as he stopped crying. A flood of energy jolted her. Sparks flew.

"No! No, stop! You'll kill her!" Baldy screamed, racing to Moira and the baby. He grabbed her, pulling her off but Moira clung, keeping the baby in front of her, out of his reach.

John couldn't breathe. His throat squeezing shut. The thing on top of him stabbing into him. Slashing his clothes, then his skin. Cutting viciously into his abdomen. Blood spurted as pain blossomed. He panted, gasped, fought. The woman's palm slammed down onto his chest. He felt the paralyzing bite of the sucker. He felt the rush of the enzyme as she prepared to feed on him, to take his life. He bucked, helpless. Turned his head to blurrily see Baldy trying to yank Moira away from something. Moira's desperate cry as she fought. The baby's sudden wail. The enzyme surging into him.

A burst of gunfire. The creature toppled, blood spurting onto him, into him. It toppled weakly for a moment. John only needed a moment. He swung his fist into the beautiful face, smashing delicate bones. Shoved it off him. "Kill it! Kill it!" he rasped, coughing, gasping. He rolled and sprang to his feet. Lunged towards his wife and son. Bullets flew into the woman as she stood to pursue.

"Shoot to kill! Shoot to kill!" Evan shouted.

"No! No, let go! Let go of me!" Moira cried, fighting, shoving. She lost hold of the baby as she was wrenched backwards. "Johnny!" she screamed as the baby held onto the controls. Little legs dangling in the air.

John crashed into Badly, tore him away from Moira. "Go!" he ordered, flinging the other man across the room with tremendous strength.

Moira raced to the baby, catching him before he fell, losing his grip. "Johnny! John, John, help us! Turn it off! Turn it off!" She grabbed the controls with her son, flicking switches.

John lurched to them, hands on his bloody abdomen. He freed it to place his bloody hands on theirs.

"John!" Moira exclaimed, glancing over in horror.

"No! Do it now! Kill that thing now! Junior, now!" he harshly ordered. He leaned against her, concentrating. Clearing his mind of the pain, the fear, the disgust. All noise of the battle behind them fading. He felt the power surging like a red tide, inundating his mind but responding to it. Strongly. Stronger than even the Ancient Chair or a Puddle Jumper. Power rising, rising. Lights glaring brightly. A hum filled his ears, rising in pitch. In warning. His brow furrowed as he fought to control it. To override it. To overload it.

"Back!" he shouted, jerking them away. He spun them, shoved them to the floor and rolled on top of them. Shielding them as the equipment spurted. Exploded. A shower of debris was flung over them, all around them. He looked up to see the tank imploding. To see the woman screaming, body riddled with bullets as the wires fizzed. Were yanked out of her. Leaving bloody trails of fluids, of enzyme. The tendrils skittering like living things. Men were shouting, leaping out of the way. The floor tilted and many fell. The tank slid precariously directly towards John but halted, skid the other way.

The woman wailed, a lost banshee as red cascaded all over her. Red hair. Red skin. Red fluids. Red blood. She fell to the floor, a mess of tissue and bone and cartilage. Baldy screamed, moving to her, grabbing a weapon but the marines fired. Killing him even as he fell onto top of her. Tears in his eyes, anguish on his face.

John groaned. A convulsion shook him. He rolled off his wife and son. Onto his back. Hands weakly trying to reach his abdomen. Blood stained his lips as he coughed, trying to speak.

"John? John, no! John!" Moira scrambled to her knees beside him, baby in her lap as he cried wildly now. She touched John's face. Her eyes widening in horror seeing his wound. Seeing all the blood. Seeing tissue and organs protruding. She pressed her hands to his abdomen, as if she could keep him together, make him whole again. "No! NO! John! I need help here! Help me! Help me!"

John's eyes fluttered open. "Moy?" he gasped, touching her hand. His vision blurring. Fading. Warmth enveloped him. Then a creeping cold. He smiled as he eyed his wife, his son. His little family. Safe. Secure. His.

"No, no! John! John Sheppard, don't you dare leave me! Don't you dare leave me! John, please, please!" Moira cried, tears flooding her eyes.

John blinked. "Moira...captain...safe now..sa..." Darkness took him.

"No! NO! John! Carson! Carson!" she screamed even as the doctor was rushing to her. Rodney on his heels. The baby wailed in her lap.

Carson fell to his knees. "Good God! Hold on, Moira, don't move your hands!" Carson checked John's wrist. "Slow, steady...fading...damn it! Rodney!"

Rodney fell to his knees next to Moira. "What can I do? What can I do?" he asked in horror.

"Hold him there, with Moira!" Carson ordered, flinging open his kit.

"Can you save him? Can you?" Rodney asked.

The doctor's gaze met his friend's. Held a moment. "I...I don't know..."