Reflections of a King
By Abby Ebon
Note; Yes I know this abrupt change of title (and the alerts, oh the alerts… ) will cause many of you to want to kick me (or worse) but, eh, enjoy the chapter, and do note the note on the bottom.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
An Impossible Possibility
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"It is not wise to bring them into Atla." Faye stated the moment Harry had clicked off the radio. He turned to her, raising his eyebrows imploringly, silently asking her to continue her line of thought. She bit her lip, and Leo coughed softly, bringing Harry's attention to his Guard.
"Atla, my Lord – is the First City, it is where we intend to take you." Leo spoke in undertone, and Faye flushed, having forgotten that Harry would not know such a thing. Tigr clicked her tongue, though she looked amused.
"Really? What's the city Elizabeth's people established themselves on?" Harry asked then, his Guard looked between each other, recalling it.
"Tia." Tigr supplied, though her fingers tapped against her thigh to an unheard rhythm. Faye opened her mouth, and Harry glanced to her, narrowing his eyes.
"They will come, Faye, the people will not like it, but I think it is a wise suggestion on Elizabeth's part." From his tone, they knew he was not to be argued with – so Faye merely nodded, glancing to the beach outside where the others were.
"Are you going to tell them about what happened in the caves with Atlantis?" She asked then, looking unsure of how welcome the question would be.
"A version of it." Harry agreed then, and Faye nodded in agreement. Then, without a word spoken, it seemed unanimous that the four go to tell the others of the plan they had formed with Elizabeth.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"What do you think they want to talk to Elizabeth about?" Rodney asked John as he approached them, Teyla shifted so he could sit beside Ronon and Rodney, gratefully he did so. He shrugged one shoulder, thoughts still lingering on what he thought he had heard from Faye as he left the Puddle-Jumper.
"Don't rightly know," John admitted easily, catching Ford's eye, his team came over, clustered together like they were, some of his tension eased, "I figure it has something to do with what went on in the caves."
"I don't like this." Lt. Laura Cadman stated brazenly, John sighed then; half wishing the woman's feelings did not so perfectly mimic his own.
"Tell me about it." John grumbled a bit, Halling and Teyla exchanged a glance, managing to keep themselves from indeed doing so, getting used to Earth slang had been a shot and miss process. Nonetheless they were fairly certain John did not want further information.
"Harry say anything in the Jumper?" Ford asked, worriedly glancing to the closed Jumper. It could be they intended to leave them here – in that case, they'd have to make two trips back to Atlantis-the-City, as he knew it would not fit ten people comfortably.
"He said the ring of crystals about his neck is a gift – from Atlantis." John reported without questioning why he was answering to his Second-in-Command, there were skeptical glances between Rodney, Carson, and Zelenka. While they didn't doubt that Harry thought his words to be true, they wondered just how "alive" Atlantis truly was.
"That's believable." Ronon stated, somewhat amused, though somehow entirely serious.
"He has no reason to lie." Halling defended, he had known Harry as a friend – and thought the younger man would not lie about such a thing, no matter how unbelievable it was.
"Alright – but what about his bout of sickness, if it wasn't the human and Ancient genes – it much be something we don't know about that Harry has." Rodney interrupted then, hopping to avoid a conflict of who was right and who was wrong.
"Impossible, before he came here he had no genetic faults – no abnormalities at all. His is the most perfect strand of DNA I've ever seen." Carson insisted, to the bafflement of the non-scientists this did not settle the matter between the doctors – instead it escalated it.
"Well, in that case – could it be that his genes are too perfect?" Zelenka asked them, there was a significant pause, a few lingering looks, and many carefully blank looks among the group not included in the trio of doctors.
"It could be." Rodney finally said, admitting the possibility.
"This whole talking-above-the-normal-primitive is annoying enough when the Ancients or other not-going-to-be-mentioned races do it. Mind clueing the rest of us in?" Lt. Laura Cadman asked bluntly, she had broken Harry of speaking to his time as if they were scientists, and she would do the same for the rest. Ford snickered softly, but John only shook his head.
"Well, basically – we don't know what would happen to a human's too perfect genetic structure when exposed to really active – instead of dominate – Ancient genes. They may cause the human genes to break down – we just don't know." Rodney supplied, trying not to look too affronted by Lt. Laura Cadman – it would only encourage her.
"So, Atlantis really saved him – it wasn't some act to make him indebted to them?" Ronon asked then, and John looked to him with a raised eyebrow, he shrugged one shoulder as if to as "it could happen".
"It's possible." Carson agreed with a nod.
"It's more then possible, it's what happened." The group tensed up guiltily – in the midst of their conversation they'd forgotten to watch for the younger scientist. Harry looked healthy enough, and though Faye was narrow eyed (what Lt. Laura Cadman had hinted was her version of "pouting") his Guards looked amused enough at having caught them unaware.
"Harry! We, ah, didn't see you there. How'd the talk with Weir go?" Lt. Laura Cadman asked with a grin, as she seemed the only one willing to speak after having been caught at 'gossiping'.
"Well enough, we now have a plan to defeat the Wraith – if, that is – the Replicators agree to it." Harry was more then a little amused his team – and John's – displayed at that announcement.
"Harry, the Replicators are the bad guys." John said slowly, deliberately so – it was as if he was begging to be smacked; Harry's lips twitched into an almost smile.
"No, John, they're only misunderstood." Harry teased right back, though Faye huffed in disapproval.
"How's that?" Rodney asked seriously, and Harry turned his attention to the other scientist.
"They were created by Ancients to mimic mankind – think of them as a simulation to mimic life as we know it, the smarter the Replicator gets is determined by its surroundings and its challenges. What the Ancients implanted in every single one is what's in us – that sense of home – they want that more then anything. Atlantis is their home as much as ours, but if we offer them a home, perhaps the moon of Atlantis – they will take it and hopefully be content." Harry explained to them, Teyla and Halling glanced between each other debating on protesting, but it was Lt. Laura Cadman who spoke up.
"Well, that's nice and all Harry, in a give the murderer a home next to the orphans sort of way, but what's to say they won't change their programming – or decide they want Atlantis and no second-best moon?" She asked, and though the Guards and Faye looked insulted, Harry only smiled a not-smile.
"I am the Heart of Atlantis – its king, they know that if they do not obey me, Atlantis will see them dead – it's an ultimate fail-safe, they are structured upon the crystals of Atlantis – it is what allows them to absorb other metal elements – take that away, and they will not survive a season." Harry answered, still smiling – Ford and John looked between each other, and John shuddered.
"Remind me never to piss you off." John mumbled softly, Faye heard it though and grinned in a way that could have been called a snarl.
"Noted." It was said far too cheerfully.
"So, we get the Replicators on our side, what next?" Carson asked, curious despite that he knew he wasn't likely to be included in this mission.
"We change the crystals –" Faye begun while Harry watched on.
"But without the crystal-structure Atlantis can't kill them!" Rodney exclaimed rather panicky.
"I said change, not remove –" Faye told him, showing teeth in a grin that did not look at all friendly.
"You can change the structure of a crystal without removing it? How?" Zelenka asked rather baffled.
"We merely change the structure by harmonizing its nature to a more current structure into one we wish it to become." It was a simple two-or-three part process, though Faye determined she wasn't going to be the one to tell them that.
"You have something that can do that." Lt. Laura Cadman stated, looking not at all surprised.
"Yes, it's quite easy." Faye told her smugly, brightening a bit now that she seemed to have found someone who would not question her. She should have known better.
"Really, how big is it?" Lt. Laura Cadman asked rather sarcastically.
"Harry-size." Faye replied in turn, at that moment the males of the team watched the two like a tennis match- waiting to hear whose retort would be more cat-ish.
"Heh?" Rodney blurted out then, confused.
"Harry can change the crystals structure if he stands near enough, it is an ability of a Heart of Atlantis – Atlantis works through him to change the crystal structure. The problem is Harry can not change every one of them all at once – so we need to create the false-life crystals on Atlantis, and then relay on Atlantis to change the crystals within the Replicators when we go near them." Leo took over, as Faye seemed to get more and more frustrated by them the longer she tried to reason with them or explain a process.
"Who is crazy enough to go near one of those Replication things?" Lt. Ford asked rather doubtfully, because if the Ancients thought the humans would do that – they were going to be sorely mistaken.
"We are." Tigr spoke up, grinning in a more then slightly insane way.
"Undoubtedly." John stated dryly, not missing the implication that as they were Harry's Guard they'd likely go with him when the Replicators came…home.
"What's a false-life crystal, and how is it going to help the Replicators – and us if they haven't killed us yet – kill the Wraith?" Carson asked all too baffled, Harry took pity on him.
"The life the crystals give off, aren't compatible to the dietary needs of the Wraith." It was simple, really - only, not as simple as Harry would have liked.
"Okay, so the Replicators in exchange for a home, act as bait? The Wraith aren't going to fall for it, no matter how life like the Replicators are, so what's plan b?" Rodney asked and Harry shook his head, he felt oddly disappointed.
"There is no plan b, this is all we've got – take it or leave it." Harry stated, and Rodney looked at him in disbelief.
"You're telling me the oldest intelligent race is hanging on this plan working?" He asked in a tone that pleaded for an alternative answer.
"'Fraid so." Harry answered amusement plain in his expression.
"That…that's…so dumb." Rodney wailed, shaking his head.
"We've done dumber things." Harry made a fair point, Rodney had to admit – but…still.
"Yeah, well, that's us – were supposed to do dumb things; Ancients are supposed to show us up!" Rodney explained; Harry only raised an eyebrow, shaking his head in amusement. He wasn't going to mention that their faith rested in Atlantis – Rodney just might explode at thee 'unreasonableness' of all of it.
"Yeah, uh – dumb question here – but what's going to stop the Wraith from going after the other people in this galaxy – or in ours for that matter?" Ford found himself asking, Harry knew they were going to love this answer.
"Since Harry became Heart of Atlantis; Atlantis has awoken, since then it's charged all the crystals on the other habited worlds – they will be shielded now." Faye was the one to say it, so it was understandable that it took a bit of time for the fact to settle.
"For how long?" John asked her, fully expecting there to be a time limit.
"As long as it takes." Faye answered without pause. Rodney's jaw nearly dropped at the amount of power that would require. It was astronomical – and he didn't need to say so because the rest of the group had heard enough of his rants to know to do something like that was near impossible for them, but not, apparently, for the Ancients.
"So, the plan in short is to turn the Wraith against each other – take away their food source, and they only have themselves, or a quick death with the Replicators false-life crystals." Leo commented to the rather stunned group.
"Now, Elizabeth knows the gist of most of this, the fact remains we still need to change enough crystals into false-life to provide a proper focus for Atlantis. That's were we need Tia's help." Faye said then, nodding in agreement with Leo.
"Tia?" Rodney asked softly – he was too stunned to put too much behind the question.
"The City you inhabit is called Tia among us." Tigr explained, and absently, Rodney nodded as the name matched reverences in the parts of the Ancient Data-Base he had gained access to.
"Oh, wait – that means you need our help." It was all too obvious to Zelenka that Rodney was coming back, and so long as he didn't think of the exact need of power that the Ancients would require, he could be reasonable.
"That is correct." Leo stated, amused, if his almost-smirk was any indication.
"Elizabeth has assigned Lt. Laura Cadman, Lt. Ford, and Halling to Harry, as a sort of human Guard," Leo looked rather baffled at the logics of it, but John found he did not disagree, "she has asked Carson go back to Tia; however she's given permission for Zelenka and Rodney to remain with us and learn our way of tuning a crystal-structure and harmonizing it to a crystal-structure we call false-life."
"What about us?" John asked, motioning to Teyla and Ronon as well.
"You may choose where you are going." Tigr told them with a shrug of her shoulder.
"I'm going with Lt. Ford, if you don't mind, John." Teyla stated, and Ronon nodded in agreement, John sighed, he'd rather not split from his team, but he knew someone had to get Carson home in a Jumper.
"I'll go back, and come back to – eh, where are you going anyway?" John asked then, a bit miffed that they hadn't told him before.
"Alta, the First City." Faye replied, glancing out over the sea, as if longing for home.
"Right, I'll come back for you when you send word from…Alta. What are you going to be doing there?" John asked, carefully avoiding looking over his shoulder. He was paranoid, yes – but there was no need to advertise it.
"Celebrating our Awakening, hold ceremony for the Heart of Atlantis to be introduced to our people; then Harry shall meet with the Council to discuss probabilities, all quite boring." Leo commented, grinning slightly at the almost pouting John.
"Right, sounds great – let's go Carson." John ordered as he walked past, Carson following at his heels. They took the Jumper they'd radioed out of – the others watching from the ground, leaving Harry with the bidding question if they really could fit eight into the Jumper left to them. If not, he'd let his Guards and Faye "be taken by Atlantis" – he'd much rather go the long way in the Jumper, it wasn't like with Atlantis to guide him he could get lost.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Note; fear not I have a plot - sometime during the night, at the very wee hours on the first of February, this plot bloomed fully kick-ass in the middle of the night. Only, you see, I have plenty of friends who like Harry Potter, but very few who know about the Stargate 'verse, so I turned it to the one person I could think to share it with who'd give me a honest opinion – ReflectionsOfReality, all of it over a rushed PM in the middle of the night.
I've only had plots do that to me a few times, all in a rush I just have to write down and share, but Reflections replied promptly that they approved of it even going so far to give me suggestions (which I still have and will likely use).
I owe them much bowing in thanks (lets not forget groveling, plenty of that) for one reason alone. In a move from West coast to East, I lost the plotline I had shared, utterly, for I rarely make paper records of my work. Frantically, and in near tears – I pleaded to know if Reflections still had the plot in a PM over They by some chance of luck, did, and promptly returned it, I owe them a debt, and its one I intend to pay by finishing this story; so what this means to you is that this will be finished, lastly, this is no bitty plot that lasts only another five or so chapters. This thing is huge – it will likely go past fifty chapters if I stretch it out the way I want to. Like I said, I was in near tears at the thought of loosing it; I didn't have a "plan b".
This long ago stopped being something I'm writing for Water Mage, instead it became my own – and when it is finished – not if, when – it will be in large part because of ReflectionsOfReality, my hero. Hence this stories title has been changed from Water Mage's title-and-summary idea of "The Neo King of Ancients" to "Reflections of a King". Make of it what you will.
-Also, my idea of Atlantis or any planet being more then a little "alive" is based in Anne McCaffrey's and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's books series starting with "Powers That Be", "Power Lines" and "Power Play"; this was written around when their next trilogy focusing on a pair of twins born of the two main characters was published; "Changelings", "Maelstrom", and the upcoming book "Deluge". No, this story will not cross with their books.