CHAPTER 14 BENEATH THE CITY

She did not find Carson, but on calling into the infirmary she found a note that had been left for her with instructions on how to get to the lab that she could use. A little puzzled at the supposed cloak and dagger method, she had shrugged her shoulders and using the transporter, had found her way down to the lower levels of the city. Most of this area was not in use and Stephanie had learnt from the data banks that a lot of the lower city was yet to be properly explored with some areas still like black holes in space. If you stayed in there long enough, you'd simply disappear.

She clutched Carson's instructions in her hand. Map reading was not one of her skills and the constant turns in the city at this level, with the limited lighting that was available down here - she soon she realised that she was indeed quite lost. Unfortunately she had not been fitted with a radio as other Atlantis personnel wore, but rather than panic and take herself further away from the main tower, she decided to do a little exploring. Hoping she would simply come across the laboratory on her own.

The unused rooms and laboratories were mostly dusty and some had been covered in large sheets and protective covers, and Stephanie spent some time peering under the covers and running a thoughtful hand over machinery and control panels that she itched to use. She had learned about the ancient gene and how it was required to operate most of the equipment in Atlantis, and while she had not been tested for it yet, it appeared that she did not have it. None of the machinery she touched came to life or showed any sign of become operational.

She was working her way deeper and deeper under the city and now she had lost track of both time and where she was. She found she didn't care, and felt no sense of isolation or nervousness. She had spent many a long night alone in a laboratory and other than the incident that had brought her here, she had never encountered a security problem or a threat through her late night work sessions.

The next room brought a skittering feeling of unease along her spine. This room was not in the same state of disuse as the others and at first, she had thought that finally she had managed to find the laboratory included in the instructions that were now crumpled in her fist. Pushing into the room, she found that while it was still partly covered, a portion of the lab had been dusted down, and there were several sample containers stacked neatly on one counter. On the floor behind the counter stood secure steel small shipping containers and these were tightly closed, but stacked with some purpose as though they were ready for transportation somewhere. Further to the side, she found a small fridge, powered up and filled with sample jars, smaller than the ones that were lining the laboratory bench. Cautiously, she opened one, finding a liquid with a greenish tinge and without having to touch it, knew that it would have a slighly viscous consistency.

Curious, and with that same hint of unease creeping just a little closer, she put down the container and reached for a microscope and slide, and carefully, using a dropper, transferred a tiny portion of the liquid onto the slide, before slipping it under the viewing part of the microscrope.

Puzzled, she did not recognise what she was looking at. Immediately, the liquid separated into bubbles, almost solid in consistency, in much the same way that mercury does. The compound, or whatever it was, did not possess any of the characteristics that she was familiar with and dropping down to the shelves below, began looking for some basic familiar chemicals that she could attempt to mix with the unknown substance to attempt to find a base for what she was looking at.

The lab did not render anything usable. It appeared that whatever was in the liquid, was in it's complete form and this laboratory was simply a holding area, storing the ready to go formula.

And something about this formula did not sit right. The chemist in her went on alert – even given that these base components were likely not from earth and as such her knowledge of their actions and reactions was small, she was left with the very real feeling that whoever had created this compound had done it for the wrong reasons.

And she needed to get out of there quickly, before whoever had been using this room as their own private playground decided to come back. She flicked her eyes quickly around the room to make sure that everything was as it was when she had entered, and almost as an after thought had picked up one of the vials, and popped in into her pocket, unsure what she would do with it, but knowing that if she left it here, there may not be another opportunity to secure a sample.

At that same moment, a sound came from outside the room. Further down the hallway she heard footsteps, measured - as though whoever was coming, was walking carefully as though looking for something – or someone. Instinct kicked in. She would not show herself, not just yet – and that skittering of unease that had been sending small fingers of sensation down her spine now escalated their movements and she looking quickly around the room, searching for a suitable place to take cover.

The portion of the room that had not been uncovered, beckoned – and she quickly and quietly made her way over to this side, lifting up one of the longer dust sheets and pulling herself under it. She barely had time to tuck it over her and she heard the sound of the footsteps, now louder, stop outside the room she was in. They paused there for an interminable amount of time, as though waiting for something, then continued into the room, heading away from where she was hiding.

Friend or foe, Stephanie thought, fighting to control the unease that was rapidly escalating to fear.

I need to see, I need to know whether this is the person responsible for storing this compound. Even if it is entirely innocent, a sanctioned chemistry compound... it doesn't sit right, and while I'm no hero, I can't just do nothing.

She carefully lifted a corner of the sheet and saw a pair of boots in front of her, facing away. Olive green base BDU's topped the boots and she was just allowing her scrutiny to travel a little higher when she heard him speak.

"Damnit!" There was a moment's silence, then he was speaking again and she assumed that he had activated his radio.

"The storage facility's been compromised. Someone has been here – the containers have been disturbed. I need to move these immediately. I'm going to do a sweep of the area, and see if whoever was down here, is still around, then I want you to meet me here in ten minutes. We need to relocate. Immediately. Out."

The boots turned quickly and their tread this time was much heavier and with purpose. Stephanie let out the breath she had been holding and knew that she had to get out of that room, and fast. She scrambled out of the cover and moved to the doorway, looking carefully both ways down the hallway. She fought to push down a giggle, thinking that subterfuge and cloak and dagger did not really feature high of her list of most desirable activities.

Hearing the sound of his footsteps disappearing to the left, she chose the right and picking up her speed to a light jog, she simply ran, having no idea of where she was going.

Lost, and now feeling more than just a little frightened, she checked her watch and found that she had been down here in this labyrinth for three hours. In the artificial lighting, she had no idea if night had come and having still to find the transporter that had brought her down to this level, she was thankful at least, that she had not come across the man who had been in the storage room, nor the one he had contacted on his radio.

But neither had she found the storage lab again, so at least she wasn't simply going around in circles. But it was likely that she had found her way deeper under the city and was now quite possibly several buildings over from where she had started. She had learnt briefly about the city's schematics from the hologram, and although it would have been impossible to commit any of it to memory, she did recall that the underground tunnels, such as the ones she had been walking around in lost, for the past three hours, did connect with most of the buildings above the ground. So at this point? She could be anywhere.

Another hour and panic had begun to set in. Fighting to push the tears away, she rounded yet another corner of a hallway that looked exactly the same as all the others she had been searching through, and came up hard against a body whose arms reached up automatically to grip hers.

She struggled immediately, thinking that it was the man who she had seen in the storage room and the hands tightened.

"Hey... relax..."

She knew that voice, but it took a few seconds for her brain to send the required message to her body to stop struggling and when she finally relaxed, she felt the hands leave her arms and wrap around her, pulling her against him.

"Where the hell have you been? I've been looking for you for the last hour. Carson said you didn't show up at the lab? Hell... we're been worried stiff. You could walk around down here for hours and still not find your way out... the place is a maze!"

"Tell me about it..." her voice was quiet and he heard the fear in there, and kept her tight against him for a few more moments, before setting her back and looking down into her eyes.

"What the hell happened? You look like you've seen a damn ghost..."

Stumbling a little over the words, she told him what she had seen and how she had almost been discovered by the man wearing the boots and the olive green pants.

His face had darkened and he gripped her arms.

"Why the hell didn't you get out of there straight away? Whoever that was, and you can be sure I'm gonna find out just who the hell that was... what if they had caught you? Hell... you're in enough hot water with people back on earth as it is?"

"Seems trouble is following me... and as to getting away. Damn it, John! What do you think I've been trying to do? I've been lost in this maze of tunnels for the past three hours... so much for your stupid radar alert! Seems to be you could have found me a little earlier."

Anger fizzled then and gave way to tears. She had been near the edge and the anger had tipped her over, that and relief and being able to share the story with someone. She slapped his hand away and turning her back on him, strode off down the hallway, calling over her shoulder as she went.

"I never found that stupid lab that Carson sent me to. I can't read maps. And don't you dare laugh! Being a good scientist doesn't require me to read maps. I have other skills."

He was fighting to push down laughter now. Her back, held straight marched on ahead of him, and relief at finding her also pushed amusement to the front, where it had pushed anger to hers.

He moved swiftly after her, activating his radio at the same time.

"Sheppard here. I'm down in the lower level of the North tower. East quadrant. I've found her... but I need some assistance down here. It seems there is a little storage room that is being used for something it shouldn't be. Bring down a team, Lorne. I'll give you our exact location when you get a little closer. Sheppard out."

He caught up to her, reaching for her arm, getting her to stop.

"I'm not laughing at you Steph – just the situation. Yeah, trouble seems to be following you around, and I know it's not your fault. I need you to guide us back to the storage area... at least the general direction."

Her eyes widened indignantly. "Are you serious? Did you just listen to anything I said? I've been lost down here for three hours! Three hours! Hummphhh."

She all but stamped her feet and moving fast, carried on down the hallway, refusing to listen to him. "I'm going to find Carson. Just point me in the direction of that transporter... thing."

"Will you please slow down... Carson is back up in the research lab. He was the one who alerted me to the fact that you had disappeared off the radar for a few hours – so as to our radar system? It works as well as anything can. Where the hell is your radio?"

"Seems someone neglected to provide me with that information, or that piece of equipment. Don't you think that if I'd had a radio, I would have used the damn thing?"

She did not stop, just carried on – still heading in the wrong direction and John was torn between just letting her carry on in the direction she was going and letting her figure it out for herself, and bodily throwing her over his shoulder and taking her to the transporter. Which, in all fairness was a little difficult to find. It simply looked like the door to a supply cupboard and unless you opened every single door down here? It was unlikely that you'd find it easily.

Fortunately the decision was taken out of his hands. Lorne arrived with his team and Stephanie rushed toward the Major, all but throwing herself into his arms in her relief at finding someone who would help her without making fun of her.

"You ok Stephanie? You need some help? The Colonel mentioned that there was some trouble down here."

"I don't know how to get out of there, I can't find the transporter." Her voice was more than just a little petulant and confused, Lorne raised an eyebrow to John, who had just come around the corner.

"Sir? You're not going to show her to the main part of the city?"

"Seems my help is not required... Right now? We need to find that lab where you ran into trouble."

His face was showing impatience now, and she grew even angrier.

"And I told you! There is no way in hell I'm gonna find that lab again! You'll have to look into every single room, and I'm tired and I don't want to go any further, so if you can't find the decency to show me the way out of here, then here I will stay. Right here. Until you finish searching, and then I will leave. Do you have a problem with that?"

She didn't wait for him to answer, just slid down the wall and pulling her knees up rested her chin on her knees and looked obstinately ahead, refusing to look at him.

Lorne was slightly bewildered and more than a little amused but tried not to show the latter. "Uh, Colonel? Sure you don't want me to show her to the transporter first?"

"She's going to sulk like a child, then I'll treat her like one. She can stay here, and when the tantrum is over, then perhaps, she'll feel like joining us."

And turning he left her and Lorne had no choice but to take his team and follow, feeling more than just a little uncomfortable at just leaving her there, but he was bound to support the Colonel's decision.

Which proved to be a good one when as soon as they disappeared around the corner and left her alone, she was on her feet and running. Alone in that hallway? Suddenly it seemed unimportant who was right and who was wrong.