CHAPTER IX

DAY 3 - A5Z-AA7
1621 AST

In the interest of expediency they brought a jumper to AA7 and parked it, cloaked, near the portal. It was more than a two hour hike on foot from the Gate that they simply didn't have time for, and Carson had made it clear he didn't know how much time John had left.

The portal had uncloaked once they got near it, possibly due to Major Lorne's ATA gene. She found the design fascinating but had no desire true to examine it, or the small bits of Ancient text she could make out near the base of the 'stone', nearly hidden by the grass.

She could do that when she had unoccupied brains cells to properly devote to the task.

They waited by the portal, as per the instructions Lorne had received, and Elizabeth finally had time to think on everything. Not just what she was going to say to the Council - that part was relatively easy - but instead everything that had happened in the last three days.

The task her brains cells were currently occupied with.

John's coma, the evidence that he might possibly be an Ancient himself, the very timely discovery of other Ancients. Then there were the other worrisome things. John's last seizure had happened just before they'd left; that made two already. There would be more, Carson said. They would occur with increasing frequency until it finally stopped. All of it. His brain would simply shut down, collapse, under the strain.

It was a terrifying prognosis, and Carson had no idea just how aware John even was. He wasn't responding to stimuli, but that didn't mean he wasn't aware of anything happening around him.

She hoped, on one hand, that he was aware. Then he would know they were doing everything to help him; that they weren't giving up. But if he was aware, if he could hear and feel and smell but not move or talk or see… she could not imagine how helpless he must feel, knowing what is happening around him but unable to react or reply.

Knowing his time was growing shorter and shorter….

If he wasn't… if he was truly as unaware as he appeared, then perhaps it was a good thing. If they couldn't solve this…

If they couldn't solve this, then he would simply pass on in his sleep.

Without pain, or fear.

Elizabeth folded her arms around her waist, the only outward display of her inner turmoil. She hated thinking this way, preferring to remain as positive as she could. But, like Carson, she needed to be aware of the worst case scenario.

Not matter how much she didn't want to know.

Elizabeth dropped her arms to her sides as a flash of light came from the stone. A man with brown hair and slate blue eyes appeared before them. There was something in his eyes… an age and wisdom that seemed to defy his outward youthful appearance.

"Dionysus," Major Lorne said and he gestured to her, "This is Doctor Elizabeth Weir. She's the leader of our expedition."

Elizabeth folder her hands in front of her respectfully, and inclined her head in greeting, "It's an honor to meet you."

Dionysus inclined his head in return, "Likewise, Doctor Weir." He put a hand to his chest, indicating himself, "Dionysus Almus." He took a step away from the portal and toward Elizabeth. "It seems Major Lorne's assessment that you would wish to speak with the Council yourself was not mistaken."

"No, it wasn't," she said with a smile, but a more serious look took its place. Dionysus, for his part, seemed to sense the change. His posture changed minutely, a wary but curious look well hidden in his eyes.

"I have an urgent matter to discuss with your Council. I only hope you can help us." She made sure to give nothing of her emotions away but sincerity of the request. John was first. He needed the Ancients more desperately than they needed them as allies.

"What is the nature of the issue?" he was curious why they would ask for help, she could see that. She could see he didn't know what to think of them, but he didn't seem like he would turn them away.

She took a breath, a shallow intake of air to steel herself, "Medical aid. One of own is very ill, asking your aid is our only option left for him."

All truth, of course. For the moment she would not say that John was, or was suspected to be, an Ancient. Major Lorne, and by extension his team, had not been informed, and for now - at least until John woke up - it would stay that way.

She didn't like keeping this from her people; from people she trusted, like Major Lorne. The less people who knew, the better. She respected John as an individual and an officer far too much to go over his head about this.

Dionysus finally nodded, "Very well. I will alert the Council to your request."

"Thank you, Dionysus," Elizabeth said sincerely. He nodded again, a kindly look on his face. Then he took a step back and beckoned them forward, closer to the portal.

He activated it, and they were gone in a white flash.

ARCADIA
1655 AST

Once they had reached Arcadia, she overheard Dionysus contacting the Council via some sort of communication device on his jacket collar. He spoke in fluent Ancient, the sound of the words building and falling in all the right places. It was different though, very slightly. The words were all the same but the tone was different than she'd heard before.

Were these really, truly, Ancients? If so, it was not unheard of for languages to change over time. If these were machines, would the language change at all? Would the people? The culture?

When they reached the town, Dionysus informed them that the Council would need a few moments to gather. Major Lorne took the time to contact the other two members of his team with instructions to meet at their location.

The town itself was something Elizabeth could not help but stare at in open wonder. People were everywhere. Outdoor markets and shops, people going to and fro, working, building. Children played games while older teens watched, keeping careful eye on the young. A young boy, no older than 7 or 8 walked along side a medium sized dog-like animal of some sort. It seemed young as well, not quite steady on, or grown into, its own feet. It (he?) walked with attempted grace, not unlike a young cat. The child, a smile on his face, wrapped his arms around the animal's neck in a hug, and instead of attempting to wiggle out of the child's grasp like most young dogs would, he actually seemed to return it.

She wasn't sure if that was her own child-like fantasies of having a pet that would return your affections like that, or if it actually did return the child's embrace.

"Tanobi."

She blinked at Dionysus, "I'm sorry?"

He smiled and gestured toward the child and creature, "They are called Tanobi. They've been our companions on this world for many generations." Elizabeth nodded and turned her eyes to the spire, so much like Atlantis'. He followed her gaze, "The Council will be ready soon."

She nodded, then gazed around again. Not all the people wore the same type of clothes as Dionysus did. She guessed they were uniforms, but she wondered, "Is everyone here Alteran?" She was glad she remembered what Lorne said about them not calling themselves Ancients.

"Some," he said, "Not all. Over half this world's population are the humans native to this world."

Interesting. So not only were there both humans and Ancients (which, really were just very biologically advanced humans themselves), but they were outnumbered by the human population. Looking around though, there seemed to be an easy calm. The possibilities of a place where there was no fear, no worry. Where human and Alteran children played, learned and grew together….

It brought her hope that they, the Taur'i/Terran people and the people of Arcadia could be allies.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a child's shout, not of distress, but of joy.

"Pare!" (Father!) He shouted in Ancient, the boy with the Tanobi. The Tanobi was now close at the boy's heels, its tongue hanging from its mouth. Elizabeth then made the connection as Dionysus knelt down and the boy all but jumped into his father's embrace. The boy must have just realized his father was nearby.

She smiled softly at the display, but she felt like an intruder in a private event. The boy spoke happily, a mash of words that Elizabeth had trouble following, but Dionysus had no such trouble. He smiled, laughed and rubbed the Tanobi behind the ears.

Dionysus spoke a soft, firm command, "Ito alludios, Iacobus." (Go play, Jacobus.) He ruffled the dark hair on the boy's head before he scampered off, the creature following right behind.

"Major!"

The moment broken, Elizabeth turned to find Lieutenant Reed and Doctor Thomas jogging up to them. She saw Dionysus stand at the edge of her vision. The two men stopped and Ben Thomas bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Reed looked at his team lead with a quick salute, "Major." He gave Elizabeth a sharp, respectful nod, "Doctor Weir."

Thomas, still catching his breath, gave Elizabeth a wave, "Doctor Weir." She gave both men a nod, "Lieutenant Reed, Doctor Thomas."

Ben stood upright, breathing deep now that he could fill his lungs again, he opened his mouth to speak but Dionysus' communication device chirped once, a short string of Ancient words flowed from it. He answered to it swiftly, "Etium, domin." (Yes, sir.)

He turned to them, "The Council is ready for you, Doctor Weir." She gave a steely nod and took a breath as Dionysus turned toward the spire.

Lorne held out the datapad provided by Doctor Beckett. She took it and followed Dionysus into the spire.

John was counting on her.

Elizabeth found there to be… something about Adamus that didn't sit right. It wasn't that he was unkind, or cold toward her. He seemed… distracted? The Council members showed varied degrees of mistrust and curiosity, but Adamus… Elizabeth was sure he was hiding something.

After years of being exposed to various political parties, she prided herself on her ability to read people. She didn't know what it was that had Adamus off-kilter; she doubted it was about her or her people directly, but there was definitely something else going on behind the scenes.

She didn't spare a glance to where Dionysus stood watch but she wondered if he was aware of any deception. She wondered if she and hers were the ones being deceived. Elizabeth only hoped that trusting them didn't end the same way that trusting the Asurans had. They were so hopeful that these would be real, living Ancients, they hadn't considered until it was almost too late that the situation could possibly be something else entirely.

"It is an honor to meet you, Doctor Weir," The Alteran called Nicholas said, a kindly grin on his face. Elizabeth bowed her head, "Likewise, Councilors. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

Clemens leaned forward in his chair, "Your request seemed urgent. Medical aid, Dionysus reported?"
"That is correct." She held the datapad to her side in one hand. She recalled the information Carson had told her, and she explained in as much detail as she dared to the Council before her. She kept the fact that John might possibly be an Ancient under wraps for now, not quite sure if these people could be fully trusted. She was willing to take a leap of faith though should it become necessary, if only to save John's life.

To their credit, they did not question her on the state of the city. They kept to the current issue, and for that Elizabeth was grateful. She knew she could lie to them to protect the city if needed.

Dionysus, Nicholas looked at the Watchman. See that your brother is brought to us. It was helpful, she decided, that they were not aware that she could understand them. Dionysus bowed his head and left the room swiftly. His brother?

"A healer has been sent for," Nicholas stated. "I assume the device you carry holds the pertinent information?"

Elizabeth nodded, "It does."

When Dionysus returned, he had another man in tow. This Ancient was tall; John's height. His hair was dark brown, like Dionysus' but the edges were rimmed in streaks of silver. He looked to be, perhaps in his fifties, but his gray eyes seemed older. Dionysus resumed his post and the other man took up position beside Elizabeth, greeting the Council respectfully.

His name, according to the introduction she got from the Council, was Terrance Almus. A healer of the mind and body alike, and she felt the barest amount of hope swell in her chest. She contained it before it reached her face, though, and introductions concluded, she held the datapad out to Terrance. He smiled kindly as he took it, murmured the Ancient words for 'Thank you', and began to go over the data that had been carefully translated into Ancient.

As she watched him, she noticed that he seemed a gentle individual; kind and caring. She could read it on his face with ease. Just then his brows furrowed and she immediately grew concerned.

Adamus, who had been silent for the most part during this meeting leaned forward, "What is your verdict, Healer Almus?" Terrance was quiet as his finished with the data, but she noticed that he lingered on one image: the full body scan. Confusion flickered across his face for the barest of moments, then it was gone again.

Finally, Terrance spoke, "His situation is dire." He paused as he studied an image of John's brain. He nodded to himself then handed the device back to Elizabeth, then looked at the Council. "I can help him though."

The Council looked to each other silently, and Elizabeth watched them carefully. Finally, after several silent seconds, Adamus stood, and the rest of the Councilors with him. "We will discuss your need, and have an answer for you shortly."

With that very abrupt dismissal and no opportunity to dispute it, the doors opened of their own accord. Dionysus was silently instructed to escort both Terrance and Elizabeth from the room. The Council left through another exit and Terrance turned to direct a sour look at the now empty chambers.

"That was odd," she heard Dionysus say and Terrance hummed in agreement.
"Unfortunately," he directed his look at at Elizabeth, "Your man doesn't have time for such delays."

-TBC

- 2,480 words

A/N: Real life dumped a whole box of stuff on me and thus, this got pushed aside.
Beta'd by the fabulous KeianaLunae.