Always Comes Back to Haunt Us

Dragonlots aka Dana Bell

Chapter 13

"Yes, I'm serious," Max growled. The executive must be a complete fool not to understand the importance of the find he'd just made. "This man alone is worth investing in."

"We're not certain," the woman in the dark suit objected.

He refused to allow her to finish her sentence. "I suggest that you do a computer search on Dr. Benton Quest. Once you understand his importance, contact me." He terminated the com and sat back in his chair. "Idiots."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"You have a minute, Captain?"

Gideon glanced back at Dr. Chambers. The doctor rarely came to the bridge so it must be important. "Keep me apprised," he told Lt. Mathison, his first officer.

The oriental nodded and turned his attention back to running the ship.

"What is it, doctor?" he asked as he joined her.

"Can I speak with you privately?"

"Sure." He led her to the conference room. It seemed to be the one place not used very often and wasted space in his opinion. He intended to have word with the designer about it. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, but I may have found a cure for the Drakh plague."

"May?" He indicated she should sit as he did, excitement building inside him. "Explain."

"Some of the Atlanteans have a rare gene. I've done a few preliminary tests, but I don't have enough samples to verify my findings."

"What do you need?" If what she said was true, he wouldn't have to sit in Earth orbit shooting down anyone who tried to escape during the last year.

"Blood samples from those who have it."

"What's the catch?" He might as well get straight to the point.

"They seem reluctant to help."

Reluctant to help? It was their planet too. "Any idea why?"

She shook her head. "We don't have a lot of information on the Stargate program." She placed her hands on the table. "I've heard you do."

"I'm familiar with the declassified information."

"You always did like having an edge," a mocking voice said.

Matthew sighed. "Galen, you weren't invited to be part of this discussion."

"Yet, here I am." The techo mage grinned at him as the door slid shut. "Are you certain this gene will help?"

"Not entirely," Dr. Chambers answered truthfully. "But it's a place to start."

"Any idea on why they're not being helpful?" The captain sat back, a plan beginning to form.

"I get the impression they've had some problems in the past."

"Hmm." He glanced up at Galen. "Want to take a ride?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Dad, get us out of here," Jonny pleaded when Benton Quest entered their white painted room.

"Not my call, Jonny." He grabbed a chair and placed it in the space between his two sons. "I have permission to visit, but not to tire you or me out."

Hadji frowned. "Where are we?"

"Atlantis."

"Oh, come on, Dad," Jonny objected. "Atlantis is just a myth. Right?" His son's blue eyes begged for the truth.

Benton sighed. "I wish I could say it is." He crossed his right leg over his left. "I assisted Dr. Daniel Jackson with some translations that helped him locate this city."

"So where was it?" Jonny pushed back the blanket, reminding him when his son had been younger and loved stories to be read to him at bedtime.

"Under water, on another planet, in another galaxy."

Both boys stared at him.

"How did it come to be here?" Hadji asked. He still wore a turban with a red jewel pinned to it. Benton loved his adopted son as much as he loved his own. He'd never regretted bringing the boy into his home after their trip to India.

"That's an answer I don't have yet."

"Wait a minute." Jonny looked around frantically. "Where's Bandit?"

"Right here, Jonny." Jessie walked into the room, her red hair down around face. She looked adorable in her pink bathrobe with fuzzy slippers, but Benton knew not to tell her that. In her arms she carried the white dog with a dark mask around his eyes.

"Here boy!" Jonny called.

Bandit barked, wiggling free from the girl and bounced over to Jonny. Benton picked up the bulldog mix and placed him on the bed, noticing the dog bowls and food on the floor not far away.

"How are feeling Jessie?" Dr. Quest asked.

"Fine. Dad will be here in a minute." She made herself comfortable on the end of Jonny's bed. "He's still arguing with the doctor."

"I've met her."

"Ours is a man. Dr. Becket. Has a Scottish accent."

Dr. Keller had said co-chief medical officer. Dr. Becket must be the other.

"Get out of my way!" He heard Race's voice echo down the hall.

A moment later the man who had served as their body guard, baby sitter, teacher of self-defense, lab assistant, pilot and good friend, ducked inside. "I hate hospitals."

"Have a chair, Race." He pointed at one next to the door. "Join us."

The white haired man pulled it over, straddling it backwards. "What do we know?"

"Other than the fact we're in a flying city?"

His long-time friend gave him a disbelieving look.

"I've had a long talk with Colonel Sheppard, who told me I suspect what he and the general had decided I should know."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, Dad." His son pulled on the blanket, making Jessie move. She gave Jonny an annoyed look.

"All I know is that we are in orbit around a space station, along with a number of other ships, about two hundred years in the future."

"Nothing else, Doc?" Benton wondered why Race wore a red shirt all the time. He'd have thought as the body guard, his friend would not have wanted to be so obvious. Or maybe that had been the idea to draw attention away from him and his family.

"I asked why they took us. He wouldn't answer." He chuckled. "He replied I'd have to ask Mattie."

"Who's Mattie?"

"Head of the Phoenix Foundation."

"You did some work for them didn't you?"

"Several times." He'd enjoyed working with the touch woman who ran it. "I'm not sure if she's here or not. The colonel wouldn't say."

Jonny grinned, with an expression which meant trouble ahead. "So what are we going to do about it?"