Title: The Pi Covenent
Author: AshtakRa
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay
Rating: PG (for now)
Summary: A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.
Chapter Eight
Waking up to see Nox dressed in nothing but speedo and sunning himself on a beach of golden sand in front of an azure blue ocean was not something Lorne expected after getting shot – but then again he wasn't that surprised. He himself at least had board shorts and an air-force academy muscle shirt.
"Oh hi," said Nox, lifting an absurdly huge pair of sunglasses off his nose to grin at Lorne. "I hoped you'd wake up, Pi Antêrios is about to rise."
"Great," replied Lorne with what he hoped was obvious false enthusiasm. "Then we can play some volley-ball and build a bon fire."
Nox slapped his thigh in excitement. "There you go – I knew your humour would return eventually." He stood and poked Lorne in the stomach. "All it took was a round to the gut."
Wincing slightly Lorne found himself glancing at the horizon, wondering exactly what Pi Antêrios was, moon, planet or second sun.
"Speaking of which – I hope this means I'm not dead, cause an afterlife with myself would only entertain for some long."
"There you go again," laughed Nox. "You're killing me."
"Well I do my best to -." He was cut off as Nox's hand gripped his throat and he brought their faces together.
"No really, you-are-killing-me."
Nox released him and took a couple of steps back, his smile returning as if nothing had happened. "Do you know that civilisations that learn about alien life early in their development are less likely to become belligerent war-mongers?"
"No, tell me more, please."
"I think it has something to do with belief in one's species being dominant… that was sarcasm wasn't it?"
This time Lorne smiled. "And here I thought you were in my head – maybe my thoughts are not your own?"
Nox walked back and slung an arm around Lorne, he only flinched slightly this time.
"Its happeneing," Nox whispered and looked to the horizon.
Finding himself intrigued Lorne did look and a reluctant sigh of appreciation escaped. It was a planet that breached the horizon and rose quickly and spectacularly. It was so close you could almost see the weather patterns on the dark orb. It must have been a planet almost devoid of water for all Lorne could see were landmasses and shadows of mountain ranges.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Nox hummed in his ear. "Imagine, with only primitive telescopes the occupants of this planet could view their neighbour, and know by the hues of green that life existed on more than just their own world. A hundred years later cries of joy erupted as evidence of intelligent life was found, a citadel had been built that could be seen from here with the latest lenses."
Nox moved around Lorne, his hands not leaving his body but tracing his muscles and hitting all the tender places. "The knowledge that others were so close spurred the sciences, where your species needed war to invent the people of Pi Antikos were driven by need to know their neighbours. In only a decade they had initiated inter-planetary communications and then soon after," he paused for effect and looked to the other horizon. "First contact."
A rocket blasted up and over the mountain range, leaving a trail of exhaust. He had travelled galaxies but Lorne felt himself somewhat impressed and a little awed. A species that could advance so quickly without war was indeed a wonderful achievement.
"And then what?"
Nox released him and did a little dance before pointing back at Lorne. "You see, I've got you hooked." He grabbed hold of Lorne again, this time around the waist and to his own chastisement Lorne felt himself enjoying it. He idly thought if Ronon would hold this against him, since it wasn't technically real?
Nox was continuing his history lesson. "There was the expected differences, the challenge of language and compatibility, but no wars – no killing."
"So how does it all end?"
Nox stopped their walking. "What makes you think it comes to an end?"
A shrug was all Lorne could offer, but he knew he was right.
"Well there is an end, but then a beginning," said Nox cryptically.
Lorne knelt and collected a handful of sand. It felt real, it even felt like it could be from Earth. He looked up at Nox, who standing next to him was silhouetted by the rising planet of Pi Antêrios. "Why are you showing me this?"
Nox squatted and put a cool soft hand to his cheek. "Because we should know our origins."
SGASGASGASGA
Ronon shook Lorne again and briefly considered slapping his face. "Evan!"
The man he was holding mumbled but his eyes remained closed. Ronon had used his own shirt to stem the bleeding and his calls for help had been ignored which was ridiculous – someone would have heard the shots. Suspecting another ambush Ronon had carried Lorne to the transport lift and taken them to Nox's former holding area. Once behind the blast door he had felt a little safer and studied Lorne's wound.
That is why he had considered slapping Lorne – the wound was gone, just reddened skin and crusted blood.
"Guess you are bullet proof," he said gruffly.
He thought about calling Keller, the marines deserved little mercy but one Lorne had taken out looked in a bad way – if he died they'd find a way to paint Lorne as the aggressor; given the situation him and Lorne would find little in the way of support. This is exactly what Sheppard had said could happen but Ronon had found it hard to believe. Attacking one of your own in the belief they were traitors was reasonable but this, just because Lorne liked men? That word the marine had used, faggot, Ronon had heard it too often recently to not know what it meant, and in what context. There were times when, working with Sheppard or even McKay that Ronon marvelled at their tenacity and loyalty – and it made him think that a culture that produced them must be envied. Then there was the way they had social taboos that made absolutely no sense. He pitied them when he saw such things.
His hand froze on the way to his radio – what if others were monitoring the frequency? The marines had been confident they could attack Lorne and get away with it; perhaps that meant others were involved – others with more clout than a few front line soldiers. Ronon adjusted his hold on Lorne and eased the other man against the wall. They were in one of the many corridors where there were multiple exit points. The one straight ahead led to a balcony – it had been sealed off with Nox in here but Chuck must have removed the panels since a breeze was blowing through.
Quickly checking his weapons stock Ronon also tried to remember what supplies were in this section. Food should still be ample since there had been stores for both Nox and captors. The city supplied water and any other amenities they needed. They just needed to hold out until Sheppard returned. Ronon wanted to trust that senior command would help but who else would be listening? The old paranoia of being a Runner flowed back as he considered options and exit strategies. He knew a few ways to get to the Puddlejumper bay without detection but he'd need Lorne awake to fly. Failing that there were a few people that might help them escape – but those few he hesitated to put in danger.
He gazed at his lover, seemingly asleep with no sign of his earlier injuries. As a Runner he had only himself to worry about – his priorities had changed since being in Atlantis and definitely since meeting Evan Lorne. Ronon muttered a curse and slunk down next to Lorne so they were shoulder to shoulder.
Where the hell was Sheppard?
SGASGASGASGASGASGA
Glancing around the corner Sheppard move to the next alcove and waited for McKay to join him. "So you think they know we've gone?"
McKay shrugged. "Who knows what surveillance they're capable of – more importantly why go to the trouble of capturing us only to let us escape so easily?"
Sheppard grimaced. "We haven't got out just yet – how big you think this ship is anyway?" McKay said nothing which worried Sheppard; no answer meant he probably knew but was unwilling to say.
"I think there's some sort of console up ahead – let's just get that far shall we?"
The console was circular, like most of the technology in this place, and its design seemed vaguely familiar though Sheppard couldn't place it. He watched as Rodney pressed several icons and hummed to himself. Knowing this meant he was on to something Sheppard let him be and kept an eye out for guards.
Truth be told they had seen no guards or any other beings apart from Sharmilla-Joth since they'd been here. She had asked some harmless questions and explained that they were not prisoners – she had decided to rescue them from their damaged craft. Plausible but she evaded too many of their own questions to be benign.
Hence the escape.
Not that it was a stretch to escape from a room without locks – but then they'd been in stranger prisons.
"Hah!" announced McKay. "Simple binary code is the same the universe over, I should be able to bring up a schematic…" After a flurry of fingers the screen changed and Sheppard glanced over his shoulder. The screen showed a circle map, shocking thought Sheppard, another circle.
"We're here," McKay pointed to a dot on the outer edge. "And we want to be," he hesitated over a point the opposite side, "Here."
His finger pushed down. The console went dark and then disappeared into the floor. A moment later they were engulfed by a bright light and a loud whine was heard.
A noise Sheppard did recognise and so did McKay as they looked at each other in shock.
"Shit!" they said at the same time just as a set of hovering rings fell about them.
They disappeared in a flash of white light.
SAGSAGSGASGASGA
Nox stepped back from Lorne, his body was now clad in the dark grey armour he had been wearing when the team had found him imprisoned by the Genii.
"We are not who we thought we were."
"We?" questioned Lorne.
"You and I," answered Nox. "I thought myself in control of a body with no host – obviously I was wrong as you so efficiently pointed out." He walked around Lorne and as he did the landscape changed, darkening as huge cylindrical towers of dark metal rose to the sky. "Our clash, you crying out from in here," he pointed at his own head, "And me unaware of the conflict you were creating made my mission so much harder."
"Your mission?"
Nox nodded. "I am an advance scout sent to infiltrate and disrupt defences before they arrive."
Lorne snorted. "You have not damaged the Atlantis defences in any way – you helped them by fighting the Wraith."
"Well that was more you than me but then that is what I am getting at," explained Nox. "When you regained full control I was able to re-examine the mission program and realised a fatal flaw – a flaw which had made me rethink who and what I am… what we are."
A few things started falling into place as Lorne remembered more about the time when Nox was first under guard in Atlantis. "I was trying to get us killed," said Lorne. "Why would I do that unless I knew…"
"Yes," said Nox. "You saw the danger that you presented and tried to antagonise your jailers to kill you. I did not fully understand why I acted so belligerently and you were not conscious enough to realise that your friends would never kill you for doing nothing more than hurting their feelings – together we ignored the most important aspect of our existence."
"We are not who we think we are," muttered Lorne. Nox nodded grimly and pointed at the sky, now almost black as the multitude of towers topped by platforms blocked out the sun. "Pi Antikos was changed to save its inhabitants from a dying sun – inhabitants who adapted their own physiques to survive ten thousand years of darkness."
Lorne examined his hand, the feint lines of an integration tattoo throbbing with his heart. "They used technology to keep their biological functions operating – an artificial form of immortality." He continued now, walking confidently down the darkened beach to look at the sister planet of Pi Antêrios. From a gap in the platforms he could see a sliver of it, ravaged with chunks missing – as if it had been eaten by some giant. "They gave up their planet to save this one, their ore supplied the shell for Pi Antikos didn't it?"
"It did," whispered Nox. "I have only partial data but it seems an agreement was reached, one for the other."
"What did Pi Antêrios get in return?" asked Lorne. "A place here?"
"I don't think so," said Nox, for the first time not having information. "As I understand it the cultures were both peaceful but unable to share living space."
"So what happened to them?"
"I do not have the data, but the agreement has given its name to those who created us."
Lorne spun to face Nox. "Us?"
Nox smiled sadly, the integration lines were white like old scars and followed the contours of his face. Lorne had stopped seeing his own face and now saw only Nox as a separate identity, but not an alien to his own self. "I told you many times – Evan Lorne is dead… we are a construct of that which was."
The news should have been devastating, it should have hit him like a truck but Lorne found himself just nodding along. "We are one," he whispered. "There never was a you, or me… but just two sides of the same coin."
Nox stepped up, his face inches from Lorne's. "I told you before, I am not your enemy."
"What about the mission?" asked Lorne. "Even if we are the same entity, I will not let you destroy Atlantis."
"And I will not allow Atlantis destroyed," said Nox softly, his eyes flashing a brilliant electric blue. "Your enemies are my enemies."
"And who are they?"
Nox looked up, the gaps had closed and now only darkness reigned on the planet.
"Those who made us… the Pi Covenant."
Tbc…
