Rodney McKay was frustrated, and when he got frustrated, he knew he could be obnoxious, but most people understood that about him. At least, he thought that was the case and he had no problem with letting people know he could outthink them on his worst day. He also knew that if anyone came close to him when it came to problem solving it was Radek Zelenka.
Radek was imputing what little information they had on the holographic program that told the history of the Tiannecs, but so far they'd been unable to access any new information in the databanks. It was as if the Ancients really didn't want to talk about them, as if they were the proverbial black sheep of the family and best kept locked in a closet.
Rodney glanced at his watch and wondered if it was too soon to expect a report from the scientists involved in running tests on the substance Lorne's team had collected. He rubbed at tired eyes and reached for the half eaten sandwich on his desk, but stopped with the sandwich halfway to his mouth.
"Radek, are you seeing this?" McKay asked and dropped the sandwich back on the plate.
"What is it, Rodney?" Zelenka asked.
"I was running a follow up diagnostic on the affected systems…"
"Yes, yes, I can see that!" Zelenka snapped and sat forward when he noticed what McKay had already seen. "It looks like the power fluctuations are correcting themselves."
"Exactly," McKay said and hit several keys until the citywide system grid showed on his laptop.
"What did you do to fix it?" Zelenka asked.
"Nothing, but I have a feeling I know what's causing it. If I'm right, we're about to find out what happened to Sheppard," McKay answered as Zelenka moved closer and watched the map change on the computer. "There he is!"
"Wait a minute, Rodney, that can't be right," the Czech observed.
"It's Sheppard," McKay said and suddenly realized he was stating the obvious, but that Zelenka was also right in that it could not possibly be the missing colonel.
"Rodney, according to this, he's not just below the surface of the water…he's below the ocean floor," Zelenka observed.
"Several miles below the ocean floor," McKay told him.
"That's not possible!"
"Tell me about it," McKay said and watched the blip on the screen, and then he heard his name through Atlantis' comm link.
"Dr. McKay, Chuck is picking up an unknown transmitter," Woolsey told him.
McKay tapped his comm link impatiently. "It's Sheppard's transmitter…"
"Chuck says it's deep…too deep," Woolsey said.
"It is deep, but it has to be Sheppard. The city seems to think so too – at least it seems to be reacting to his return," McKay explained and knew it sounded strange. "I'm trying to reconfigure the system to see how long it will take him to return to the surface."
"If this is correct, he's coming up too fast," Zelenka said of the digital reading.
"Radek, contact Beckett and see if Atlantis has the equivalent of a decompression chamber!" McKay ordered as Ronon and Lorne entered his lab.
"What's wrong?" Lorne asked.
"We think Sheppard's in trouble," Zelenka answered.
"No shit," the major snapped and moved closer as Ronon stood over McKay's shoulder.
SGASGASGASGA
Teyla kept her eyes closed and concentrated on the strange feelings running through her mind. It felt like gossamer strands so fine that a ripple effect could break them. She sensed something approaching Atlantis, something far more sinister than anything she'd seen in the horror movies John Sheppard enjoyed.
Teyla had always known she was different, special in ways her own people came to look on as gifts while others would never be able to understand. John's people believed in her and embraced her gift as if it was a natural occurrence. For that reason she'd worked at honing her skills in an effort to help those in danger from creatures like the Wraith.
"Teyla, you are supposed to be resting," Beckett mock scolded as she opened her eyes.
"I am…"
"Resting means those lines should not be present, Lass. Tell me what you're feeling."
"John is close, but he is in danger…"
"Dr. Beckett, do we have a decompression chamber?" Paula Leland asked.
"We do…who needs…"
"Dr. McKay seems to think Colonel Sheppard is returning to Atlantis, but he's deep in the ocean and coming up too fast," the woman answered.
"He is not alone," Teyla told them and sat up quickly.
"Teyla, don't make me sedate you!" Beckett warned.
"Please, Carson, I am fine, but Colonel Sheppard is in danger from the creature controlling him."
"What creature?" the physician asked.
"She…"
"Oh, good, Teyla, you're awake!" McKay said as he hurried toward her bed with Zelenka, Ronon, and Woolsey in tow.
"Rodney, what's this about Colonel Sheppard needing a decompression chamber?" Beckett asked.
"I think you call it The Bends," McKay snapped and turned to the Athosian. "Teyla, can you reach out to that voice you heard?"
"I believe so. It is no different than reaching into the mind of a wraith queen."
"Good, we believe the creature with Sheppard…"
"Rodney, we don't know there is a creature," Zelenka snapped.
"Yes, we do. The Tiannecs may have been Ancients at one time, but not now and we need to get Sheppard away from there so we can study them more closely," McKay said. "Teyla, I need you to connect with the creature and find out anything that might help us free Sheppard."
"I will do what I can," Teyla vowed and lay back on the bed.
"Teyla…"
"I can do this, Carson," the Athosian said and closed her eyes. She relied on her instincts and years of being able to tune out everything around her as she sought out the creature whose voice she'd heard while speaking with John Sheppard.
"Rodney, you should not have asked her to do this!" Beckett scolded.
"She knows what she's doing, Carson."
"Yes, she does, but it takes so much out of her and we have no idea what this creature can do. If it is strong enough to control Colonel Sheppard then Lord knows what it could do to Teyla."
"Teyla has handled Wraith Queens, Carson…she can handle a Tiannec," McKay said.
"Just a minute, Dr. McKay," Woolsey interrupted and turned to Atlantis' CMO. "Dr. Beckett, how dangerous is this for Teyla?"
"It depends on how strong this Tiannec is and whether we can help her disconnect if it goes too far," Beckett answered.
"Carson, I will stop if I think I am losing ground," Teyla said softly as she allowed her mind to drift away from the conversation.
SGASGASGASGA
John continued to fight the creature's pressure on his mind and body, but he felt himself losing ground as they rose through the depths of the ocean. He knew they were traveling slower than the Atlantis Puddle jumpers allowed, but he didn't know if that was 'Jane's' doing or his own.
"I can feel the power surging through me, John Sheppard. When we reach Atlantis I will be able to take control of the city and give my people back the life that should have been ours."
"My people are stronger than you think!" Sheppard ground out and felt something change in the creature's control. It felt slightly weaker, but he knew it wasn't something he had done.
"Someone is trying to find us."
John heard something strange in the words and understood 'Jane' was feeling fear.
"I do not fear anything, John Sheppard. I will crush this creature as if she was an insect…Teyla…I believe that is what she is called. Would you like her to know you are responsible for her death?"
"No, leave her alone!"
"Do you feel her, John Sheppard? Do you feel her puny mind searching for us? It would be a simple thing to crush her!"
"Don't…"
"Tell me why you do not want her life force terminated!"
"She is…"
"What? What is she to you, John Sheppard?"
"A friend."
"Perhaps, but I sense you would like her to be more than just a friend. What if I told you she has these same feelings for you? Let me show you what she feels before I take her life."
"No…just let her go!" Sheppard said and renewed his fight to free his mind of her control. His body was rocked by spasms as he twisted in the pilot seat and sent the ancient Puddle Jumper spiraling through the water. It shocked him at first, but he quickly realized he'd broken free for several seconds until she reasserted her control and he cried out.
"I am not that weak, John Sheppard! I can control everything you do and when the time is right you will bend your stiff neck and be honored that you are The Chosen one."
"Been to…told that be…fore," Sheppard said and felt someone touch his mind. A small smile formed as he realized the hidden touch was Teyla and that she had found a way to communicate with him without 'Jane' realizing it.
'Help is here, John. Let her bring you home and we will stop her together!'
'She wants to take Atlantis!'
'Perhaps, but we will not allow her to do that. She is a Tiannec and was once an Ancient.'
"Do not ignore me, John Sheppard!"
John screamed as something was driven into his right side, a dagger that had no substance, yet there was no mistaking the pain or the spread of warm blood on his skin.
SGASGASGASGA
Teyla cried out as she sat upright in the bed and grabbed her side. She breathed through tightly clenched teeth as voices spoke to her. She knew the pain wasn't her own, and understood that John Sheppard was in worse trouble than they could imagine. She'd managed to connect with her friend, but she'd also felt the darkness of the Tiannec. It chilled her to the bone and would have killed her if she hadn't pulled back.
"Easy, Lass, you're safe now!" Beckett tried.
"Yes, yes, she's safe. Were you able to reach her, Teyla?" McKay snapped.
"I was," Teyla answered and looked at the people surrounding her bed. "There is just the one, but she is strong because she truly believes there are others of her kind. She is the only survivor and fed on the life force of her kind in order to survive. She felt John's presence and latched onto him in hopes he would return her to Atlantis."
"What does she want?" Woolsey asked.
"Let me guess…she wants to control Atlantis?" McKay asked.
"She wants Atlantis and John…"
"Why am I not surprised? Sheppard attracts females of all races, species, and now crazies," McKay spat.
"Teyla, is Colonel Sheppard injured?" Woolsey asked.
"Yes, and she is controlling him with pain."
"Do you want to trade places with Sheppard, McKay?" Ronon asked with just a hint of humor.
"No, I think I'll take a rain check," McKay answered and turned back to the Athosian. "Is there anything else you can tell us about the Tiannec?"
"As I said it is the last of its kind and extremely powerful. It will fight for survival…the hatred it feels toward Ancients and their descendants is stronger than anything I have felt…even from the Wraith. It will not hesitate to kill Colonel Sheppard if it thinks he is able to escape."
"Did you sense any weakness from her?" McKay asked.
"Perhaps, but I am not sure. I need to…"
"No, Lass, I cannot allow you to do that. Not when it poses a danger to you," Beckett said.
"It is not a danger to me…"
"It is a danger to us all," Woolsey said. "Teyla, I know you want to help Colonel Sheppard, but whatever this creature is doing can affect you. I won't let you be placed in danger unless there is no other choice. Dr. McKay, see what else you can find out about this particular Tiannec…"
"How am I supposed to do that? Ask for its name, rank, and serial number!"
"If you think that will work then do it!" Woolsey ordered.
"Why am I always the one who must…"
"Because it's what you do," Teyla interrupted with a smile. "You and Radek are unbeatable when you work together. You have always told us that there is no puzzle you cannot solve."
"Yes, but…"
"No buts, McKay," Ronon said and realized McKay was shocked, not by their words, but by their meaning. He had confidence in himself, but there were times when it was obvious he didn't know his friends were just as confident in him.
McKay took a deep breath and looked at the laptop he'd placed on the table next to Teyla's bed. The blip was moving steadily as it continued its journey toward Atlantis and he snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. "Radek, we need to get back to the lab!"
"What's going on, Dr. McKay?" Woolsey asked.
"Now's not the time to ask questions…not if you want me to work miracles again!" McKay said and grabbed his laptop. He knew Zelenka wasn't the only one following him as he typed in several commands on the run.
"What is it, Rodney?" Zelenka asked, matching step for step with the other scientist.
"Atlantis has fail safes for things like this. If we can change some commands we may be able to stop this thing and quarantine it before it tries to get to the city," McKay told him.
"What about Sheppard?" Ronon asked.
"I'm not sure, but it is possible that the city will recognize Sheppard's strong ATA gene and allow him through."
"If it doesn't?" Lorne asked.
"Then he will be in quarantine as well. Look, I'm not sure what's going on, but I know Sheppard would not want us to let that creature take over the city. He would…"
"Find a way to stop it without putting anyone in danger," Lorne observed.
"Exactly, and that's what I'm trying to do. I want to get Sheppard out of this mess, but we need to stop this thing from taking control…otherwise we'll be as helpless as Sheppard," McKay said as they reached his lab. "Radek, bring up the program on the city's fail safe programming. I want to see what the protocols are for Tiannecs."
"Do you really think the Ancients put any in place?" Zelenka asked.
"I sure as hell hope so…Sheppard and his tag-along are getting closer." McKay knew Ronon and Lorne were still there, but chose to ignore them until he had something concrete. Right now it was just an idea, one he knew the others didn't like, but it might be their only option. The question he'd asked himself many times came to mind…why the hell had he ever agreed to be part of this exhibition?
SGASGASGASGASGA
John Sheppard fought with everything he had, but the creature he dubbed 'Jane' had her claws dug into him. If he fought her she simply dug them deeper and squeezed the air from his lungs until he gasped in pain. He knew Teyla had pulled away, and had never felt so alone in his life.
"We are so close, John Sheppard. Can you feel the city?"
"I won't let you…"
"Have you not learned you have no control in this, John Sheppard? You are but the vessel I will use to take what rightfully belongs to me. Then the others will surface and we will take our place in this world. It will not be long before we are home! I have missed Atlantis…missed the smells and the sounds."
"You don't belong there!" Sheppard ground out and hissed as the claw like daggers gripped his arms. He could not see her, but she still had the power to cause pain. He looked down to see blood running down both arms as he fought for control of the Jumper.
"I belong there more than you and your kind, John Sheppard. You may be a descendent of the Ancients, but I am one and Atlantis belongs to me. I will make you watch as I rid my home of the scourge that had invaded it. I will see it become the glory it once was and make sure the people of the Pegasus Galaxy understand who they should bow down to."
"I won't let you hurt them!"
"You do not have a choice, John Sheppard. You will watch them suffer and perhaps I will keep you alive as a lesson to others. You are but a puppet and I am your master."
"No one is my master!"
"You keep thinking that, John Sheppard until the day you beg me to kill you. We are almost there. I can see the colors and hear the sounds that tell me the city is waiting for my arrival. I can sense Atlantis around me and opening her arms for my arrival."
SGASGASGASGASGA
Teyla knew she was alone in the infirmary and hoped she was strong enough for what she had to do. John was in serious trouble, but he had managed to keep the creature away from her for a few seconds, just long enough for her to give him a message, but was that enough?
No, she knew in her heart it wasn't and hoped she could help him keep the creature from taking total control of him and Atlantis. There had to be something she could do to help him and she knew she had to do it quickly as she reached out to him.
TBC
