Chapter 14: Memories
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.
Lorne is now a major character as you can see from my update, so even if I don't go ahead with my slightly polygamous thing, he is still playing an important part.
A/N: This rest day is not the fateful one that results in a death.
It had been a week since the Wraith nearly made it to the Milky Way galaxy and Elizabeth had given the order for a mandatory rest and relaxation day, Lord knew they needed it. Some people carried on working, only at a more relaxed pace and in clothing that wasn't their standard uniform, Rodney included.
Evan Lorne was grateful to be out of the office, having been up to his eyeballs in paperwork that was both his and John Sheppard's and his inner artist was emerging. Since coming here, he wanted to do nothing but paint a view of the city in which he now lived, for its beauty was striking in the daylight on the calm ocean. Hence why he had a canvas, a palette and all the paints he could possibly need as he headed to one of the spots where he had an amazing view of the central section of the city. Only when he got there, he found a sight equally as beautiful and also natural.
Loros was sat on a chair that was facing out towards the central city, book in hand and dressed in the clothes he would have worn in the presence of his people. A sleeveless white cotton top with a low v-neck, a pair of lose white trousers and his feet were bare for once. He looked relaxed, more than his normally calm and collected exterior. It truly was a natural sight, to see the Ancient enjoying his home as he should've all those years ago.
"Is there something I can help you with Evan?" Loros asked without looking up, a smile on his face.
"How'd you know I was here?" he asked, a slight blush on his face.
"Have you forgotten about the connection that I share with Atlantis? It told me you were here"
"Well I was looking for something to paint…"
"And you picked a wonderful spot with which to paint the view before you. I had no idea that you were artistically inclined, Evan" he said with that same ethereal smile, the one that captured the attention of whoever he spoke to.
"Well it's clear you're enjoying the view…unless you don't mind me painting a picture of you?" he asked nervously.
"I would be honoured" he said kindly.
"Thanks Loros. Just carry on as you were" the Major smiled.
Evan took his time with this picture. He captured every detail, the slight smile on his features, the warm look in his grey eyes and his overall calm and no longer guarded posture. He was so enraptured by his painting that he didn't notice John standing some distance away, looking quite surprised to see his second-in-command painting a picture. When Evan went to clean a brush, he cleared his throat.
"Jesus, sir! Scared the crap outta me!"
"Relax Lorne. It's Sheppard when we're off duty" he grinned.
"John?" Loros called out and Sheppards brow rose as he examined the work.
"You paint?" John asked, amazed at the detail.
"Have done for a long time. My mom was an art teacher and it was just something that we did together on the weekends. Had to stop for a while what with training and all, not to mention I was on a mining team, but figured that because we are in the most beautiful city ever, it'd be good to pick it up again" he said, returning to work.
"And Loros is posing?" John asked with a grin.
"Actually, he's been sat like that reading whilst I've been working"
"It's natural. The Ancient in his home" John smiled slightly and Lorne noticed Loros' lips quirk up too.
"That's what I was going for…" Lorne carried on, looking up every now and then as he continued his task. John watched as sure hands made broad strokes when they needed to or small, minute moves whenever he painted a smaller detail. The image had captured Loros perfectly, even the ethereal smile he wore when he was content.
"You're breathing down my neck, Sheppard. Literally" Lorne's amused voice broke in.
"Sorry, just surprised. You're really good" he said and the way Lorne smiled was comparable to Loros.
"I too hope to see this picture when you are done" Loros chipped in as he turned the page.
"Is that impatience I hear?" John taunted.
"You have obviously forgotten that I can listen to Rodney talk for about forty five minutes before my patience begins to wane. You manage a mere five seconds before your patience vanishes out the proverbial window" Loros retorted with a grin.
"The legendary patience of the Ancients. Wonder how he'd manage if he spent a few minutes with Woolsey…or any other IOA operative for that matter" Lorne chuckled as he put the finishing touches on the picture. "Not even the Ancients themselves would be able to listen to the man without wanting to forgo their nature of not hurting a thing"
"I have already spoken to operatives of the IOA" the Lantean said, a grimace on his face.
"Ouch…that bad?"
"I shall put it this way. I wanted to grab Ronon's weapon and set it to kill. They tried to tell me to come through the Stargate so they could question me"
"Question you?" they both asked.
"And by 'question me' they more than likely meant to keep me on Earth so they could find out the locations of every Ancient outpost with weapons for them to exploit. This was not long before your mission to Olesia. I had promptly told them I was staying where I was and shut the Stargate down before they really tore down the last remnants of patience that I had. So I would highly recommend that you keep me away from any representatives that they may send or your governments will be questioning my normally unshakable morality" Loros said and both men were shaking with silent laughter at the image of Loros chasing Woolsey around, handgun ablazing.
"That's quite the image" Lorne grinned and the Lantean chuckled.
"Indeed" he said, not unlike Teal'c. "However, I am quite serious. I do not take kindly to being used like they tried to use me for their own gain"
"But this expedition is built for them to use the technology here" Lorne pointed out.
"After some long and frankly boring negotiations, I was able to convince them that they can have access to the Lantean archives so they could use our technology as a guideline. Other than that, they can go ahead and take a walk of one of six piers during one of those dreadful storms…with lead in their shoes"
"You really don't like them…" John was pissed at the IOA.
"After all that has happened, no I do not. They tried to blame Elizabeth for all of the past events, yet they had given their approval of every action we have taken. However, the moment that these decisions do not have the desired outcome, they choose to claim innocence"
"Such is the way of politics on our planet" Lorne said, finishing.
"Unfortunately" Loros said with a rueful smile, getting up to examine the work.
"Well?"
"I must say, Evan, that this is truly amazing. It would seem that your mother's teaching is flawless" he praised and the other blushed slightly at the comments. "And I even finished my book" he laughed.
"Well anything to start painting again" Lorne smiled.
"You're not rusty, Lorne" Sheppard smiled and the other scratched his head nervously as Loros thought about something.
"Come with me, you two. There is something that I want you to see"
He led them both to a section of the city that they hadn't explored in detail yet. Specifically to a large empty room. The two humans looked around in confusion whilst Loros went around to stand in the middle of the room, a mysterious smile settling on his features as he waited for one of them to ask the question.
"What's so special about this room?"
"I will show you"
The Lantean closed his eyes and the entire room seemed to change. Trees, land, the sound of waterfalls, all of it appeared in the room, and soon a technologically advanced city appeared in front of them, built on and around a large waterfall. They all appeared to be floating in the middle of the new scenery.
"What in the…?" Lorne let it hang.
"This room was built during the height of the war, meant to preserve memories of all the things that the Ancients had seen. Our most benign invention" Loros began to explain as he looked to walk on air. "It taps into the mind and creates an image based on the something that you have witnessed in your life"
"And this place?"
"Built by one of the human civilisations we made contact with long ago. I had the privilege of seeing its beauty before it fell to the Wraith long ago"
The city was bustling with activity, or at least it looked like it from their distance. The buildings were sleek, the city looked to be something out of most utopian sci-fi stories. Bridges were built that crossed the vast gorge and there even some ships flying around. Loros looked at it all with a solemn gaze and the others were amazed. With a sweep of light the image changed to yet another city that was built high in the mountains, once more sleek and refined. Nature seemed to flourish with it, much like Olesia.
"Many technologically advanced civilisations had existed before the arrival of the Wraith. Some are hidden from us entirely, no doubt to protect themselves from the Wraith. The rest of them now lie in ruins, their people scattered or gone altogether. I preserve the memories of these civilisations in the hope that one day, these times would return to this galaxy" Loros explained to them both. "And because of your arrival, Pegasus has hope once more. Hope that we will be able to restore it to its former glory"
"But we were the ones who woke them" John said as the image dissipated back to the grey room.
"And my kind contributed to their creation. We are righting our respective wrongs"
Later, the three were having lunch sat in a small private area sealed off from the rest of the mess hall and overlooking the vast ocean on which the city sat. The silence was comfortable and companionable despite the fact that both military men ate with their respective teams most of the time. Loros also normally sat with John's team but he would often come to this spot to just look out at the view.
"So why did you show us that room?" Evan asked as he sipped on his water.
"Well I would think that you had seen some beautiful locations on your travels before you joined us here in Atlantis. That room is free for you to use to revisit those places so you can paint them if you're so inclined" the Ancient smiled.
"And me?" John asked.
"I imagine you would like to see some places from Earth as well. I hear a continent known as Antarctica is a particular favourite of yours" he chuckled.
"It became my favourite when I discovered my gene" John smiled. "And almost got blown out of the sky by Carson with a drone, but you know that story already"
"Carson often uses that as an excuse for avoiding the use of any Ancient technology involving weapons. He seems most comfortable using the medical equipment that my people left behind, but piloting a Puddle Jumper? Definitely hates it" Loros laughed and the others chuckled as well. "Still, the city reacts well to him, despite his misgivings. In fact it has even given a top five ranking system. John, you are first, Carson, second, Evan, you are placed third, Rodney is placed at fourth and Dr, Kusanagi places fifth despite her timid demeanour"
"We won't tell Rodney about this" John grinned widely.
"Agreed" both Evan and Loros said.
Time passes and soon the rest day came to an end. John had a mission to another planet whilst Loros was planning a mission to an abandoned Ancient outpost in the hopes of recovering more technology and supplies. Without the Helios to pilot, the Lantean figured that he needed to do something to keep him occupied. Lorne and his team would be accompanying him. He just prayed his ancestors hadn't built some kind of death machine like they normally encountered whenever they found an outpost, this city was filled with them as it was.
"A pity that we do not get to relax often. Then again we are at war with the Wraith" Loros said as they got ready for bed.
"Yeah…besides, tomorrow is another chance for you to make a bet on what causes us to return early. What options have you got so far?" John grinned and he smiled sheepishly. Since them having to make an early return was common, they rarely reacted surprised or worried and had made a little game of it.
"Wraith, Rodney insulted their customs, one of you were drugged or exposed to an exotic pollen or you rejected a marriage proposal from the head of state's daughter" Loros said and John raised a brow.
"We really have those mishaps all the time we go off-world?"
"Yes you do. Chuck, Elizabeth, Evan and I have all taken one of those four choices respectively. Whoever is the victor decides what is served in the cafeteria for a week"
"So your little game…"
"Has determined what we get to eat for about two months"
"You sneaky son of a bitch…" he grinned and Loros chuckled.
"Perhaps your team can try and determine dessert? Evan and I are leading a mission to an old outpost"
"Okay, so the choices would be run off by the Wraith, it's an Ancient death machine, one of you is exposed to the effects of said machine or the outpost is likely to explode the moment you touch something"
"If it were me, I would chose the fact that it could be an old weapon that failed" Loros said.
"Exactly how many inventions of yours have worked as they should have?"
"Let me think. About ten percent of them, most of which were designed to repair damaged ships, so it counts as it is supposed to be supporting the war" Loros said at Sheppard's wide grin. "Grin all you like John, but I think this outpost may yield something rather extraordinary. It may even become an off world base now that we are receiving ZPM's from Aita"
"Maybe…" John smiled. They were looking for more chances to expand their expedition and help local worlds with their issues with the Wraith. Aside from them, only the Olesians, Taranians and the Adea crew were technologically advanced enough to resist the Wraith in some capacity.
"Goodnight, John. I love you" he smiled.
"You know how much I love hearing that?" he asked and the other smiled. "Love you too" he smiled, settling in bed with his Lantean.