** See Title Chapter for full story notes and disclaimers.
PART SEVEN NOTES: I'm so sorry this part is a day late! I had visitors with me this past week and then clean up and recovery from their whirlwind stay. Thank you for your patience and not beating down my virtual door with cannonballs at the delay. I hope this surprise visit makes up for it.
To Lynette, beta of awesome, I hope your return home is a grand thing. Get your rest now, because my writing time has just opened up dramatically. To Annie, beta awesome the second, thank you for the nitpicky comments. You both made this story a far better product. Any remaining mistakes are all on me.
As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.
Part Seven
PREVIOUSLY ON STARGATE: SG-1...
Meyers' gaze flew between the members of SG-1, obviously following their synchronized thoughts as a broad smile spread across his face. "Do you really think it's possible, sir?"
"I really do."
Dr. Emenville and the other scientists still wore quizzical frowns. Stepping forward, Emenville raised one had as if asking permission to speak. "Sir, if you don't mind my asking, what are you talking about?"
"Atlantis," Jack said simply. Realization flooded the scientist's face, filling the tanned skin with a ruddy flush. "Yeah. We could find out if they're okay."
AND NOW, PART SEVEN...
Double checking the readings on the control panel for the third time, Rodney McKay frowned. They hadn't risen in over a week, stubbornly refusing to change. He couldn't delude himself any longer. Even his massive intellect had run out of excuses. There simply wasn't enough power to go around. Atlantis either needed another naquadah generator or a ZPM. Or a way to recharge the one they did have. Elizabeth was going to love this news. It was yet another weight to add to the ones he'd already heaped onto her slender shoulders. He'd have to tell Zelenka to see what else could be cut that wasn't essential for operations. They were already running at a ridiculously low operating threshold as it was. There was little more they could axe and remain functioning, but if it had to be done it had to be done. They'd have to find a way. The city was dead without power. They were dead without power.
"And if people don't start paying attention to the rules and quit using unnecessary power I'm going to lock it all down under my authorization," he muttered to no one in particular as one of the sensors spiked slightly. When he found out who was in that section he'd have their rations cut for a week. The spike repeated itself and his frown deepened. If the maps were correct, and they'd never been wrong before, that was an empty area. No one had clearance to be in that section of the city. Who would have disobeyed such a necessary order? His eyes flew over the internal sensor readout, searching the results as if the computers were lying to him. That was the only explanation because there was no one in the area to trigger a power spike in the city response grid. Absolutely no one. The spike appeared for a third time and remained at a slightly higher level than before.
Without thought, Rodney slapped the com panel, opening a line. "Major Sheppard, Rodney here. We have a possible intruder in the platform room."
"Possible?" The short silence spoke volumes by itself. "That's usually a yes or no situation."
"Ha ha. I'll book a stage in Vegas for you when we get back. There's an unusual power spike down there. If Command has cleared the area for personnel I never got the memo."
"No, she hasn't, Rodney. What's this blip doing?"
Gritting his teeth, he sucked in a deep breath, reminding himself he'd actually asked for this posting. Lately he was wondering why he even bothered sometimes. Being exiled to Russia as their Stargate expert might have been more amusing. For a few minutes at least. "When you've finished cracking jokes you might want to send someone to check it out. The blip, as you so quaintly call it, is using unauthorized power. Power we can't afford to waste, if you'll recall."
That articulate pause repeated itself before Sheppard answered. "Geez, Rodney, relax a little. I'll handle it."
McKay snapped off the com with a little more force than necessary. "Air Force." He ignored the veiled smiles and looks from the assorted people in Control and went back to his sensor readings. He called up the personnel tracking system and narrowed in on Sheppard. Three small red circles joined his and they moved quickly down the corridor. Surreptitiously, he followed Sheppard's team's progress on the board. What the hell could be down there?
The four little pips gradually slowed as they drew closer to the target area. Finally, they stopped outside the chamber itself, two to each side of the entrance. Rodney killed the other windows on his screen and magnified the surveillance. One pip rushed forward into the room, followed quickly by two others. The last remained outside. The three pips stopped abruptly in front of the platform, a short distance separating each. And then nothing. No movement, no nothing.
He wanted to ask what was going on, but had been around the military side of things long enough to know he could get someone killed by getting on the com. Most of the people he knew would have sworn Rodney McKay couldn't be taught to listen to anyone's opinion about how things should be run. But he'd seen too many people die in the past few months to not acknowledge that sometimes the military did have a clue. He just had to be patient. Right.
His finger was actually hovering over the button, protocol be damned, when it came. "Rodney? You and Elizabeth need to get down here. Now."
"What's going on?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Just hurry."
Swallowing all of his other questions, Rodney turned and made his way quickly to Weir's office. She looked up expectantly, a faint frown wrinkling between her eyes. "Yes, Rodney?"
He didn't need a cue card to know she was in the middle of something. He also didn't need to hold up one to tell her he didn't care if he was interrupting her. "There's something in the chair room. Maj. Sheppard said we need to get there."
Rodney had to hand it to her, she didn't ask any stupid questions, just stood to walk with him out of her office. She waited until they were out of Control before she spoke. "What's going on?" He briefed her on the strange power spike and the security team as they hustled down the corridor toward the transport station. That was yet another thing that was about to get axed, he realized with a sigh. Rodney hated having to use the stairwells. "And there was no sign of a life form down there?"
"None," he said, activating the transport unit. A moment later they were in the corridor heading toward the platform. "Just the spikes. There wasn't anything else out of the ordinary."
"Let's hope it's good news for once," Elizabeth said.
"Because that's in high supply these days." He couldn't fault her ignoring the comment. He might have as well in her shoes. That didn't mean he liked in any more.
The rear security turned toward them as they cleared the corner, weapon ready to bear. He lowered it as they came forward. "Ma'am, Dr. McKay. Maj. Sheppard's waiting for you inside."
Exchanging glances, they stepped into the now brightly lit chamber. "John, what's going-" The words stopped in her throat when she caught sight of the figure standing on the platform in front of the chair. Rodney blinked once, then did it again when the vision didn't change. "General O'Neill."
"Greetings from Earth, Dr. Weir."
Jack managed to restrain his laugh at the multiple and almost identical expressions surrounding him. Sheppard had taken it remarkably well with no questions other than a small, "How," that he'd halted before finishing and called for Weir and McKay without another thought. Their pleasantries were short as they waited. In a surprisingly short amount of time the two doctors arrived. Jack figured he could have greeted Dr. Weir a little less impudently, but just couldn't help himself. He'd feel guilty later, but for now it just felt good to see them alive and well.
"How did you get here?" Weir asked, stepping forward as she shook off her shock.
Ignoring her outstretched hand, he shrugged. "I'm not here actually. Hologram via the chair. We're doing some testing over here in Antarctica. Little problem with the ATA gene therapy."
"Holographic communication?" McKay didn't bother masking his disbelief. "I find that hard to believe. How are you moving around here? The Asgard platform projectors I've read about in reports are nowhere near this large." He paused for a moment, head tilted to one side in a way Jack had always found more than a little annoying. "What's the problem with the therapy?"
"I don't know," Jack returned, sarcasm for sarcasm. "I'm not the scientist. Those who've gone through the gene therapy here have limited control capabilities. They're trying to find out why. Apparently you took all of the natural gene carriers with you." The except me was implied, but he knew it'd gotten through when Weir, Sheppard and McKay all traded a glance. "However, my tiny little brain will take a guess that the Ancients embedded the emitters throughout their facilities." He paused for a brief moment to enjoy the shocked look on McKay's face. "I could do the same in Andromeda as well. Although no one was there to greet me." The last was almost an afterthought.
McKay's mouth gaped like a goldfish while Weir and Sheppard hid smiles behind turned heads. "General," Weir said, breaking the silence. "It's good to see you, even if we can only see you. Although the platform room is hardly a place to hold a reunion."
Jack returned the warm smile, absurdly pleased to see them all, even the annoyingly superior Rodney McKay, alive and well. "Let's test my little theory and see if I can travel around this place with you."
"I've got another idea," McKay interrupted, one finger pointed in his direction. "Why don't you try to meet us in the conference room. If you're correct, the device will know where you want to go."
"I like that idea even better." He grinned at the other man's expression. Clearly the scientist hadn't expected him to agree so quickly. "Briefing room? Is it near the control room?" After receiving nods mixed with bemused expressions, Jack closed his eyes and thought about the control room. Then he pictured a large table where people could gather and share information. He could hear their whispered conversation buzz around him like a mosquito on a quiet night, but he didn't let it distract him.
Apparently McKay had been right. The image of a smallish chamber appeared behind his eyelids. A large U-shaped table filled the room with chairs along the outer curve. Through the open door he could see the control room with numerous people all at their duties, some chatting while they worked. He pulled his focus back to the room itself, concentrating tightly on the image. I want to go there, he directed internally, squeezing his eyes tighter together.
There was no flash of light, no change of feeling beneath his feet, nothing to tell him he'd just transported to a different location. Slitting one eye open, he peeked through, slightly concerned it hadn't worked. The others were nowhere to be found in the room he now occupied. A grin spread across his face as he took in the new room. If he didn't know any better, he would have said he was almost happy to be manipulating the Ancient tech so easily. But he did know better. It was the knowledge that Atlantis was okay. That was causing the odd sense of euphoria. Sounds from the control room filtered in through the open doorway, sounds he hadn't been able to hear in the image he'd seen moments before he'd made the transfer. Only because you didn't ask for it, a tiny part of his brain whispered. Roughly, he pushed the voice aside. He didn't need any help from the peanut gallery. He was doing fine on his own, thank you very much.
Footsteps alerted him to an approaching individual. Quickly he moved to the side of the doorway. Without someone to verify his presence, he didn't want any of the Atlantis crew to see him. The man in a dark green shirt passed by, completely unaware of the presence in the briefing room. Jack eased a sigh out and wondered how long it would take Weir and Sheppard to travel the same distance the conventional way. McKay could go hang himself. Jack remembered the obnoxious man from his visits to the SGC. Their minute spent together in the platform room below had been more than enough to remind Jack why he'd been so happy to approve the man's assignment to Atlantis. Unfortunately, they were probably going to need his technological insight, Jack admitted grudgingly. Damn.
More clattering footsteps announced the arrival of the ones he was waiting on. Crossing his arms casually, he pasted a smirk on his face. "What took you so long?"
Sheppard snorted a laugh before shooting Weir an apologetic shrug. "It was funny."
She didn't deign to reply, simply gestured to the seats surrounding the large table. "Now that we are here, let's get started. Gen. O'Neill," she continued when everyone but Jack was seated. "Can you explain exactly what's going on in Antarctica to bring you here?"
"And in holographic form," McKay tacked on, flipping open the data pad he'd laid before him on the table.
What was it with scientists and those stupid things, Jack wonder briefly. Since he couldn't sit in any of the leftover chairs, he settled for placing himself directly across from Weir and explained as briefly as possible what had occurred in Antarctica over the last two weeks. The growing problem with the gene therapy and their decision to ask for his help pulled a frown from McKay, but he kept his mouth shut on the commentary Jack could see sitting behind his eyeballs. Maybe he'd learned a little tact in his time here. As soon as the thought floated up, Jack knocked it back down. Nothing was going to change McKay for the better, at least not in Jack's lifetime. "And given this new ability, I thought it might be a good time to check up on you lot," he concluded with a small shrug.
Stunned silence filled the room for a long moment before McKay's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. The data pad was filled with notes, but he hadn't looked at them in at least three minutes. Jack wondered idly if that was a record for him. "I can't believe I was so stupid. I never even thought to have the chair tested for communications. We just assumed it was a weapons platform. Why didn't I think of it?" he repeated, looking disgusted at his perceived failure.
"No one thought of it, Rodney," Weir stated matter-of-factly. "But now that we do know we need to do some testing of our own. Especially about its power consumption. You said there was a spike?"
He nodded, one hand raised with the thumb and forefinger a scant inch apart. "A little one. But we are on the receiving end. It's probably a higher drain on the originating side."
"And it took someone born with the gene to access that part of the chair's systems," Jack added. "Like I said, we've been having problems with the therapy on Earth."
Weir's face tightened at the reminder. Tapping the earpiece in her left ear, she said, "Carson, we need you in the briefing room." Whatever his response was, she seemed pleased with it as she nodded and tapped the receiver again. "He's on his way. He'll need to know everything you do about these problems."
Jack shrugged once again. "Like I said, I'm not a scientist. I really don't know much." He pointedly did not look to McKay as he said it. There was no need to invite the external peanut gallery to comment. He had enough issues with the internal one. "And I have no idea if there's some kind of time limit to this long distance call. I may disappear at any time."
"Then we'll make this as quick as possible."
The door slid open on the tail end of her words and a man Jack recognized stepped in. A glance to Sheppard confirmed this was the man who'd accidentally fired the drone at them as they'd flown toward the Antarctic base about a year ago. Jack almost felt sorry for the guy when he caught sight of their visitor standing calmly in the room. He obviously remembered nearly killing a highly placed officer.
"Dr. Weir," Beckett greeted in his rolling brogue. "Gen. O'Neill. Sir, how are you?" The hesitant smile dropped from his face, replaced with a confusion Jack almost felt sorry to have caused. Almost. There was still that drone to think about. "How are you here?"
Jack kept the smile to a dim version of its full one. The doctor was off balance enough as it was. "Long story. Basically, the chair and a hologram. I'm not really here." He waved one hand through the heavy solidness of the table to demonstrate.
"Right," Beckett said automatically, taking a seat as his brain started working hard enough Jack was surprised he didn't see smoke leaking from his ears. "What's the problem?"
"It's the gene therapy. It's not as effective as with those born with the gene. None of the scientists could access the full functions of the platform. They couldn't even call up the main menu."
McKay's eyes closed in self-disgust for the second time in five minutes. "Main menu," he repeated quietly.
Weir stopped him before the rant could even start, a fact he was more than happy to see. "General, what made you think of coming here? How did you know the power was sufficient to get the signal across?"
"I didn't know, but we had to try," he said, his joy at seeing the SGC's far flung personnel alive and well easing into a muted sense of satisfaction spoiled only by a trepidation wanting to rear its ugly head. "If there was the smallest chance we could reach this far, we would. If I could make it as far as Andromeda, is Pegasus really that much farther?" He paused as they took in the news of another outpost with mild expressions. "You've been out here alone for a while. We've been concerned."
Weir and the others exchanged tight smiles and Jack zeroed in on the expressions like a laser sight. Something told him those looks weren't just because of his surprise visit. He had a feeling they were just happy to be alive and to have made it this far into their exile in relatively one piece. Even though each and every person on the mission had volunteered for it, had practically had to beg for one of the coveted slots, Jack knew they hadn't done so without sacrifices. Even McKay had left a sister behind on Earth. And yes, Jack had checked every file himself before allowing a single person to go through the Stargate to Atlantis. He might not have been able to go with them, but he wanted to know who he was sending in his place.
"Now," Jack stated decisively. "Tell me what I need to know."
cont. in Part 8...
