AN:/ Possible visit from Teyla?
ATLANTIS.
GATEROOM.
A team is preparing to go off-world, packing boxes, collecting equipment together and generally milling around the Gate room. Doctor Radek Zelenka is among them, looking incredibly sulky and petulant. Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard walks over to him.
"Goin' offworld?"
"M7G-677." Zelenka replies in a sulky voice
"That's the planet with all the kids, right?"
Bitterly, he said, "They're having trouble with their E.M. field generator and McKay has decided that I am the most capable person in all of Atlantis to fix it. I aked Illyria if she would like to come, see what she's getting into, carrying two kids, but she reminded me of her baby shower."
"Hey, don't worry. They're a great group of kids - you're gonna love 'em."
"My sister has a child. He breaks things. He throws things. He smears things onto furniture."
Doctor Rodney McKay calls out from the Control Room.
"Colonel Sheppard! I need you up in the Control Room." Rodney walks to the edge of the balcony, looks down into the Gateroom and sees Radek there. "Oh - you still here?"
"We're just leaving."
"Hmm. Well, uh, do say 'hi' to the kids for me."
He gives Radek a thumbs-up, clicks his tongue and grins at him before turning and walking away. John grins, looks at Radek, gives him a thumbs-up. "If you won't mind giving this to Illyria for me and wish her my best." He hands John a small box wrapped in white lace before turning around, his expression one of annoyance.
John walked away as Zelenka was muttering to himself in Czech. "Idiot." In English, mimicking McKay. ""Say 'hi' to the kids for me."" In Czech: "You'll catch it from me. You are such an idiot."
҉
CONTROL ROOM.
Doctor Elizabeth Weir was back from Earth and was standing next to Ronon Dex, together with Rodney and John. Everyone is looking at the long-range sensors. They show two ships.
"Two Wraith cruisers."
"How far away are they?" Weir asked.
"A day - maybe a day and a half. I've been tracking them for some time now, but, uh, the good news is it doesn't look like they're heading this way." McKay said.
"Just passing through the neighborhood?" John asked.
"Yeah, it looks that way. But I just discovered something rather curious." McKay touches the screen and the view closes in on the cruisers and shows that energy is radiating out from each of the ships towards the other one. "Short but intense energy bursts passing between them."
"They're fighting each other?" Ronon asked.
"Hmm. In my, uh, expert opinion, yes."
"That's good news." John smiled.
"Certainly is. If there's any change in course at all, let me know." Weir said.
Rodney nods to her.
"Oh," John says, drawing everyone's attention. "Remember: baby shower in the cafeteria in a few hours. Don't be late and bring a gift." John was halfway to the stairs when he turned back around and added. "And don't mention any of this to Illyria. Carson would have all our asses if Illyria starts freaking out."
҉
EARTH.
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX.
STARGATE COMMAND (S.G.C.).
General Hank Landry comes into the Briefing Room to meet with Agent Malcolm Barrett of the N.I.D.
"I just cut short a call with the Secretary of State. I hope this is worth it." Landry announced.
"I'm sorry, sir, but a situation is developing that you need to be made aware of. It couldn't wait."
"Alright, then, make me aware of it."
"We've noticed an increase in chatter amongst The Trust recently. The Goa'uld have infiltrated the highest ranks of the organization. We've discovered that their access to government agencies has gone a lot deeper than we realized."
"How much deeper?"
"Atlantis."
Landry stares at him in shock. "They know about it?"
"Worse: they've been there. They've planted a bomb somewhere in the city."
A few minutes later, Landry and Barrett have been joined by Doctor Bill Lee, an S.G.C. scientist.
"I don't understand. Why-why would the Goa'uld want to blow up Atlantis? I mean, I'd think they'd be eager to get their hands on all that Ancient technology." Lee asked.
"They want the technology, sure, but they're more concerned about the Wraith finding their way to this galaxy. The last thing they need right now is another enemy to contend with - especially one so formidable." Landry said.
"Jeez, those poor people. I mean, as if they don't have enough to contend with with the Wraith - now they have a Goa'uld in their midst?"
"The intel we have suggests a lower-level operative planted the bomb, which means we're dealing with a human."
"And from what little we've been able to decipher so far, the bomb is set to be detonated the next time Atlantis dials Earth, so The Trust have probably set up a transmitter close to Cheyenne Mountain to be detonated at the exact moment that the wormhole is established." Barrett says.
"Which is today." Landry reminded the scientist.
"What? Oh, the weekly status report!"
Landry was looking at his watch. "In two hours and forty-six minutes."
"Well, we have to warn them - we have to tell them not to dial Earth."
"How? Even if we had the kind of power we needed to dial Atlantis, we couldn't because that would detonate the bomb."
"What about the Daedalus? It's on a return voyage to the Milky Way. We could use them to relay the trans..." Lee trails off, thinking, then shakes his head. "Ah, no, I mean, wait. God, there's no way they're close enough, even with their long-range transmitters."
"You'll find another way to get the message to them."
"I will?"
"Course you will. It's what I pay you for." Landry walks away, leaving Lee staring blankly after him.
"Uh, uh ..."
҉
ATLANTIS.
Rodney and John are walking through the corridors, on their way to the baby shower.
"Elizabeth's including intel about the in-fighting amongst the Wraith in today's status report." McKay says.
"Let's hope that trend continues. If the Wraith keep fighting like this, might be able to take the weekend off."
Rodney chuckles, then notices that Lieutenant Laura Cadman is standing nearby, examining a panel in the wall and working on a small hand-held device.
"Cadman? What are you doing here?"
Laura turns and walks over to face him and John. "Well, it's good to see you too, Rodney."
"No, I thought you were leaving on the Daedalus."
"Yeah, I was, but something came up. I asked Colonel Sheppard if I could stay around a little while longer."
John smiles at Rodney, who doesn't look too pleased.
"Oh, well, that's fine." McKay looks uncomfortable.
"You OK with that?" Cadman asked.
"Yeah, course it is, why wouldn't it be?"
Laura smiles at him sarcastically, then turns to John.
"Colonel, give this to Illyria for me?" She tosses him a slightly larger package than Zelenka's and walks between the two men. John smiles at her.
"Lieutenant."
As she passes Rodney, she throws him a long look, smiling, then walks away. Once she has passed him, Rodney grimaces, then he and John continue walking.
"I would think after all this time, you'd stop being creeped out by her."
"She just has a way of getting under my skin. Literally."
҉
OUTSIDE JOHN AND ILLYRIA'S QUARTERS (apartment)
"What is going on?" Illyria asked suspiciously.
"You'll see," John said biting back a smile.
"Put this on." McKay said handing her a blind fold.
"Pardon me," Illyria asked looking at the blind fold.
"Trust us." John asked with a sigh. Illyria looked up to him and he nodded.
"Alright," Illyria said placing the blind fold around her eyes. She felt John gently lead her toward the Cafeteria. She heard the doors slid open and the smell of food hit her face. There were hushed voices and she knew what was going on before John took off her blind fold.
"SURPRISE!" The small crowd called out. Illyria smiled with a bemused look and embraced the crowd. Teyla stepped forward and embraced her whole-heartedly. "I have missed you, my Queen. Congratulations on the twins. You and John will have your hands full."
Illyria chuckled and Teyla guided her to the large couch were Carson and Ronon. John helped her lower herself onto the couch then sat on the armrest next to Carson.
"This is wonderful; thank you all!" Illyria beamed at everyone. A few men were scatterd here and there, but mostly women were in attending.
"As I understand 'baby showers', everyone has brought a gift for you and the children." Teyla said, gesturing to the pile of presents stacked upon a table near by.
"I never understood baby showers." McKay said confused.
"It's so other people buy you the stuff you need, and then you don't go broke as fast." John aspirated, resting his hands behind his head.
"I see." Ronon mumbled, on looking with interest. "They look happy."
"Illyria kinda looks annoyed." John said almost fearfully.
"She's happy." Carson said knowingly.
"How do you know?" John asked befuddled.
"Just do." Carson shrugged.
"Whoa," Illyria mumbled, holding her stomach with a smile.
"What is it?" a few women said excitedly, in unison.
"Hiccups." Her replied with a bigger smile.
"Is it weird?" Beth, a botany assistant asked, almost giggling.
"You have no idea." Illyria laughed. "The movements have always caught me, unprepared."
"What's it like?" Beth asked excitedly.
"What's what like?" Illyria asked confused.
"You know, being pregnant." Beth was so anxious to hear the answer she was almost buzzing.
"Scary," Illyria mumbled. "Everything you do, or don't do, carries over to their health. You take one wrong step and you could lose him." She muttered, still holding her belly tightly. "It's fun, too, people take care of you even though you are still capable of doing it yourself. You get a little love kick every morning instead of a loud violent alarm clock." She laughed, so did the crowd. "It's the little moments that take the edge off your fear, that make you relax. Then you almost slip in the shower and it all comes back." She sighed.
"That's so beautiful." Beth cried.
"I thought I was supposed to be the emotional ones." Illyria asked Carson with a raised brow.
"Aye, I think your hormones are starting to rub off on everyone else." He laughed.
"Just think," Marissa said excitingly, "In a few short weeks, you'll all have little babies." The women broke out in giggles and started suggesting names.
"Few short weeks. I'll be a dad." John gulped after hearing Marissa's little reminder. "I'll be a dad." he repeated with a dry throat. There was a deathly silence over the small group of men. Reality had never descended so quickly on him. The metaphorical ton of bricks had come down hard.
"I'm gonna screw this up somehow." He grumbled. "Hopefully no one will notice. Mommy will have my ass, if I do mess anything up. I'll mess up…"
"Stop being so negative, if you screw up, your daughter will have Daddy Issues and your son will just prefer his mother." McKay said.
"Have you ever raised a child before?" John hissed.
"No," John mumbled.
"Then you have good reason to be negative." Ronon growled.
"Just ruin it for all of us." Carson grunted snidely.
"Am I late?" Elizabeth asked from the doorway of the pier. Everyone turned to look while Illyria pushed herself off the couch and greeted Elizabeth.
"Not at all," She beamed. "Thank you for coming Elizabeth." She said with a quick hug.
"Sorry I'm late." Elizabeth said almost teary eyes.
"It is fine." Illyria hastily reassured.
"At least you came." Carson smiled.
"So, what did I miss?" Elizabeth asked, sitting next to Teyla.
After the women caught Elizabeth up, it was time for presents.
"Here," Ronon said, retrieving a very large wrapped package from beside the gift table. Illyria and John, along with everyone else, wondered what was inside as Illyria disposed of her wrappings. She cried out and cover her face with her hands. John shot up and went to her, only to see that she was smiling up at Ronon. "You made this?"
He nodded. "By hand."
It was a rocking chair, elegant designs burnt into the head rest.
"Thank you," Ronon bent down and Illyria kissed his on the cheek, getting her wet tears on his face.
Next, was two black baby carriers, a blue elephant and a pink giraffe balnkie, a 'Boppy Deluxe Play Gym in Flying Circus', a double padded high-chair, a very manly diaper bag for John, a navy blue 'JJ Cole Bundleme', a play yard crib, a light blue hamper with turtles on it, an infant swing (Proudly said to be a Summer Infant Nature's Purest Complete Comfort Swing by Beth), a fold away bath, and some rings.
Carson gave the couple two bassinets, one for the girl and one for the boy.
Rodney gave them a soft sheep stuffed animal for the boy and a soft teddy bear for the girl, saying that he programed a heartbeat within both it to match Illyria's so the kids wouldn't be lonely at night.
Elizabeth gave them two separate boxes of baby clothing, saying it was from people on Earth as well. John got a kick out of seeing McKay's face when he saw one of the girl's one piece that had elements on them that spelled 'Cu-Te' and 'Ba-Be'.
Radek's gift was two silver rattles.
Cadman's gift was a Baby's First Photo Album with a picture of John and a very pregnant Illyria on the cover.
John's earlier doubts about screwing up were demolished as he looked around at the faces of his and Illyria's closest friends. They would be here for them and if not then the kids.
They were family.
҉
INFIRMARY.
After the baby shower was over, cleaned up, and the gifts sent away with the couple, Teyla Emmagan comes in and walks over to Doctor Carson Beckett, who is sitting at a computer.
"Doctor Beckett?"
Without looking up, he answers. "Yes?"
"Do you have time to accompany me back to the mainland? I would have asked earlier…"
Carson looks up at her.
"Is something wrong?"
"A woman who is very close to me, Charin."
"Oh yes, I remember her. Sweet lady."
"She is like a grandmother to me and she is very ill. I was wondering if you could look at her."
Carson was getting up. "Of course, love, say no more."
҉
EARTH.
S.G.C.
BRIEFING ROOM.
A large group of people is seated at the table: Colonel Landry, Agent Barrett, several scientists and four military personnel who make up an S.G. team. Doctor Lee is standing at the end of the table by a large whiteboard.
"OK - this is Atlantis, deep in the Pegasus galaxy," Lee draws a symbol on the far left-hand side of the whiteboard to depict Atlantis "and this" he draws a crude diagram of Daedalus about a quarter of the way along the board and writes the letter 'D' above it "is the Daedalus, that left there about a week ago on its way to" he walks to the far end of the board and draws a circle, then writes the letter 'E' inside "Earth. Now, since we can't dial the Gate to Atlantis, we have no way to get a warning to them except by use of a subspace data burst transmission relayed from our galaxy to Pegasus using the Daedalus as one of the relay points."
"I thought you said the Daedalus was too far away for our transmitter to reach." Landry said.
"It is, which is why we have to get closer." Lee turns back to the board and writes about three quarters of the way along the board. "P4M-399. It's a - it's a tiny little planet right on the very outskirts of our galaxy, but if we can send a science team there through the Gate, they should be close enough" he draws a semi-circular line linking Earth to P4M-399 "to relay the information to the Daedalus" he draws another line linking the planet and Daedalus "and then they can ..." He draws another line linking Daedalus and Atlantis, then turns to face the table. "It's-it's-it's like the Twilight Bark." Everyone looks at him blankly. "Twilight Bark? "Hundred and One Dalmatians?" Didn't you guys see that movie? My kids love it. Any ... Well, OK, so there's all these dogs" he turns to the board "and one barks here" he indicates Earth, "one barks here," he indicates P4M-399 "one ..." He indicates Daedalus, then Atlantis. "They-they send a message across the countryside." He turns to the table again but everyone is still silent and blank. Then he gets inspiration. ""Lord of the Rings."" The scientists immediately nod and smile. ""Lord of the Rings!" You know, when they light all those signal fires on the mountain tops?" The S.G. team now gets it and they nod and grin. "You saw that, right? So, OK ..."
He turns back to the board to demonstrate again as the scientists and S.G. team all start chatting amongst themselves. Landry interrupts.
"People, people, people, people!" Landry stands up. Everybody falls silent. "I believe we have work to do."
"Right. Sorry."
Landry spoke to the S.G. team. "Gear up."
Everybody stands and heads off.
҉
HYPERSPACE.
As Daedalus flies through hyperspace, Doctor Lindsay Novak reports over comms from the Engine Room to Colonel Steven Caldwell on the Bridge.
"Colonel Caldwell. We just received a subspace transmission from an S.G. team on P4M-399. It's an urgent message from Stargate Command we are to relay to Atlantis."
"What's the message?"
""Do not dial Gate to Earth. A Trust operative has planted a bomb in Atlantis to be detonated upon completion of dialling sequence." We are to maintain our position until the message has been delivered for further intel as it develops."
"Are we still in range to relay the message to Atlantis?"
A male voice spoke in the Engine Room. "No."
"Who's that? Kavanagh?"
It is indeed our not-so-favourite pony-tailed scientist, Doctor Kavanagh, who sadly wasn't eaten by a Wraith during the siege.
"Yes, Colonel. We're way too far out to broadcast a subspace transmission to Atlantis."
"We could turn around - get closer." Novak said.
"We don't have enough time. Their weekly status report dial-up is in just under two hours. We can't possibly get close enough to broadcast the message in time to stop them dialling."
Hermiod the Asgard is at his station in the Engine Room and now speaks into comms.
"Colonel Caldwell. I believe I can make modifications to the hyperdrive in order to achieve the speed necessary to reach a distance capable of relaying the transmission within the allotted time. The hyperdrive will be operating at a level that can only be sustained for a short duration before damage is incurred."
"What kind of damage?"
"It could burn out the drive."
"Meaning we'd be stuck between galaxies." Kavanagh said.
"Yeah, I know what it means, Doctor."
"However, I do believe that we will reach the point at which we can relay the message to Atlantis before damage to the hyperdrive is incurred." Hermiod said.
Kavanagh walks over to Hermiod.
"Are you sure about that?"
Hermiod ignores him.
"Shall I make the modifications, Colonel?"
"Go ahead." Caldwell spoke to his pilot. "Turn us around."
Back in the Engine Room, Hermiod has turned to another console and is working on it. Kavanagh walks around to face him again.
"I don't see how you can possibly milk any more power out of the hyperdrive ..."
Hermiod interrupted. "Doctor Kavanagh."
"Yes?"
Firmly, he said, "Stop talking, please." He looks at Kavanagh for a moment. "Thank you."
҉
ATLANTIS.
CONTROL ROOM.
"I'll tell you what, I'm am full of baby shower cake. Remind me thank SG1 for the baby gifts, especially Daniel. So, are we set to dial?" Elizabeth asked.
McKay was sitting at a console and working on a laptop computer. "Almost. Just finishing data compression." He quickly looked up at Elizabeth. "That cake was good."
Weir smiled at the technician who was sitting by the D.H.D console. "Stand by."
"Standing by."
҉
DAEDALUS.
The ship is now heading back through hyperspace towards Atlantis.
"Doctor Novak, what's your status?" Caldwell asked over the comms.
"Almost in range, sir."
Kavanagh walks over to her. "We're not gonna make it."
On the Bridge, Caldwell makes a sour face.
҉
ATLANTIS.
CONTROL ROOM.
Rodney's laptop reads "COMPRESSING DATA", then changes to "COMPRESSION COMPLETE."
"Data compression's complete. We're good to go."
"Alright, then." Weir told the technician, "Dial the Gate."
"Yes, ma'am."
He presses the first five symbols of the address for Earth. Just then, a message comes up on Rodney's computer reading, "INCOMING TRANSMISSION" and the transmission begins to feed across the screen. The technician pushes the sixth symbol. Rodney stares at his screen as he reads the message, then he turns and holds out his hand to the technician.
"STOP!"
Everyone turns and stares at him. The technician pauses with the tips of his fingers less than an inch above the final symbol. He curls his fingers and lifts his hand away from the panel. Rodney stares at him for a moment, and then sinks back into his chair, letting out a breath.
LATER.
Illyria, John, Rodney and Ronon walk into Elizabeth's office.
"We need to disconnect the ZedP.M. and switch to back-up naqahdah generators to prevent any possible dialling of the Gate to Earth." McKay said.
"I agree. In fact, as of this moment, all Gate activity should be suspended. How many offworld teams do we have out there?" Weir asked.
"Just Zelenka and his team on M7G-677."
"Well, unfortunately he's gonna have to sit tight until we sort this thing out."
"Stuck with all those kids!" John smiled.
"Is the Daedalus still in range to relay a data transmission back to S.G.C.?" Illyria asked.
"Yes. They are, uh, holding a position that keeps them in range of both Earth and us." McKay told her.
"OK, good. And send a message saying we received their warning and aborted the dialling." Weir nodded.
John spoke to Rodney. "Ask them if they can give us a little more than just "there's a bomb in Atlantis.""
"Maybe The Trust thinks this is the only way to make sure the Wraith don't get there." Weir said.
"Well, it's drastic but effective." Rodney said.
"What's worse is the Trust operative who planted the bomb probably did so under orders from the Goa'uld."
"What?"
"When did the Goa'uld get involved in this?" John asked.
"Several months ago. They successfully infiltrated the upper leadership of The Trust, gaining a stronghold on Earth accessing government agencies from many countries."
"What's a Goa'uld?" Ronon and Illyria chorused.
"It's a slimy, snake-like alien creature - burrows into people's heads and takes control of their bodies. They're Earth's 'Wraith'." John said.
"That doesn't sound pleasant." Ronon mumbled.
"It isn't. I've read enough S.G. mission reports to know I don't want anything to do with them."
Weir spoke to John. "I want you to organize some teams to do a search of the city. Start with obvious sabotage points - power distribution centers ..."
"I'll check primary and secondary systems for any anomalous energy readings that might indicate the presence of an explosive device." McKay said.
"And get Cadman to assist you - she's a bomb expert." John told him.
"She is?"
"She's one of the best - she'll be a big help."
Rodney grimaces.
"Good. Ask Colonel Caldwell to return to Atlantis to assist with the investigation." Illyria said.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. If the Daedalus returns here, then you're effectively cutting off our communication with Earth." McKay told her and Weir.
"Yes, I understand that, but if the person who planted the bomb is on board, we're gonna need to question them here - have them reveal the location of the bomb and how to dismantle it. Alright, let's get moving." Weir nodded.
҉
POWER ROOM.
Rodney types into a console, then goes over to the central panel where the Z.P.M. is. He activates his radio.
"Disconnecting ZedP.M. power ... now."
He presses a button and the Z.P.M. rises up out of the panel and its internal illumination goes out.
҉
ATLANTIS MAINLAND.
CHARIN'S TENT.
Charin is lying in bed with Teyla sitting on the side of the bed and Carson sitting next to it.
"Charin, if you don't mind, I'd like to draw a wee bit of your blood."
Charin was holding out her arm. "If you must."
Teyla starts to roll up Charin's sleeve. "When you are done, I have made some tuttleroot soup!"
Charin chuckles. "Oh - you cooking?"
Teyla walks over to a pot and starts to fill a bowl with soup.
""Tuttleroot?"" Carson asked.
"Yes. I have been practising." Carson starts drawing blood from Charin's arm as Teyla comes back to the bed with the bowl and a spoon, sits back down on the bed and looks at Charin. "Hopefully, some day, I will be able to cook as well as you."
As Carson finishes drawing blood, Teyla dips the spoon into the bowl and then feeds Charin a mouthful of soup.
"Oh!" She chuckles affectionately. "I'm afraid that day is far into the future, my dear!"
Teyla looks hurt for a moment, then smiles ruefully.
"You were born for a higher purpose - to be the leader of our people. And that's why I want you to prepare them for the Ring Ceremony."
Teyla shakes her head. "Charin ..."
"I'm dying, Teyla."
"Forgive me, but what exactly is the Ring Ceremony?" Carson asked.
Charin looks at Teyla and nods to her.
"Among our people, it is very rare for someone to die of natural causes."
"Because of the Wraith." Carson said.
Teyla nods. "The Ring Ceremony celebrates such an event. A ring of stones is laid out, symbolizing the Ring of the Ancestors - the Stargate - in the center of which the body is placed, and ..." She trails off, looking at Charin for a long moment, then sighs. "I am not ready for this ceremony, Charin. Not yet."
Charin smiles, understanding her anguish, and reaches up and strokes her hair.
҉
EARTH.
S.G.C.
General Landry and Agent Barrett are walking along corridors.
"What have you got for me?" Landry asked.
"One of our teams has raided a Trust compound: discovered computers containing further intel on Atlantis. It's not much - the Goa'uld are being very cryptic about this."
"Cut to the chase. Do we know what kind of bomb it is?"
"Not yet."
"Do we know where in the city it was planted?"
"No."
"I'm sorry? You said "further intel.""
"Well, we know for sure that there's no transmitter here on Earth to detonate the bomb."
"I thought you said it was connected to the dialling of the Gate?"
"It appears that the actual trigger, be it the Gate itself or some other mechanism due to the dialling, is on their end, not ours. Colonel Carter just came back from offworld - she's gonna help us figure out what the trigger might be."
"So what else can we do?"
"Nothing. I mean, not until we find out more."
"Then by all means don't let me stop you."
Landry walks away. Barrett stops and blows out a breath, frustrated.
҉
DAEDALUS.
ENGINE ROOM.
Novak spoke into the comms. "Colonel Caldwell - we received another message from S.G.C. to relay. It looks like the detonator is not on Earth but it is in Atlantis."
"Alright - go ahead and send it. Also let S.G.C. know Doctor Weir's request that we return to help with the investigation."
"Yes, sir."
҉
ATLANTIS.
CONTROL ROOM.
Rodney and Laura Cadman are sitting at neighboring consoles working on laptops.
"Explosives expert, huh?" McKay asked.
"High temperature and energetic materials technology. And I can tap dance, too."
Rodney rolls his eyes. Laura grins at him. Elizabeth walks over, talking into her headset radio.
"Colonel Sheppard, how's it going?"
(Elsewhere in the city)
"Checking the east pier power distribution centers. Still nothin'. We're headed to the west pier now."
"Ronon? How about you?"
(At one of the grounding stations)
"Checking the grounding stations. Also nothing."
"We've got eight other teams out there. It's a big city - it's gonna take a while." John said.
"Understood. Be advised: we got a second message relayed to us ..."
(Control Room)
Just then, noises come from behind her and the Canadian technician stares in horror at his console.
"Uh - D.H.D."
"It's dialling itself." McKay walks over to the D.H.D. console as it continues to dial the Gate. He looks at the symbols that are lighting up. "That's Earth's address!"
"I thought it couldn't dial Earth without the ZeeP.M." Weir said.
"Well, it can't!
McKay stares at the Gate as its chevrons light up, then looks down at a screen. A message comes up reading "INSUFFICIENT POWER TO COMPLETE DIALING PROCEDURE," and the Gate powers down. Rodney smiles in delight.
"Did I just hear right - the Gate dialled by itself?" John said.
"Uh, yes, it tried to dial Earth." Weir said.
"Whoever planted the bomb must have devised a program to upload itself and automatically dial the Gate as backup in case the first dialling was halted." McKay said.
"A very good thing you pulled the ZeeP.M."
Laura spots something. "Rodney?"
"What?"
"The transmitter."
Rodney looks over to the transmitter screen on the wall.
"Oh, no!" He hurries over to the screen.
"What is this?" Weir asked.
"We just started broadcasting a distress beacon. The Gate dialled itself in order to draw our attention away from the transmitter!" McKay yelled.
"Turn it off!"
McKay was hurrying over to another laptop. "I am." He starts typing and the transmission shuts off. "It's too late. The damage is already done." He goes over to the long-range sensor screen. "The two Wraith cruisers I was monitoring - they've-they've-they've, they've picked up the beacon, they've altered their course, they're headed straight for Atlantis."
SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.
As Illyria and Rodney talk, John arrives back.
"How long before they get here?" She asked.
"A day, maybe a day and a half, depending on if they need to make a hyperspace pause along the way. We'll need to cloak the city again."
"Even cloaked, the Wraith are going to wonder where the beacon came from."
"Well, then, we need a ruse. Umm ... " McKAy thinks for a moment, then clicks his fingers. "We'll take a transmitter and dump it along with some charred rubble on a beach on the mainland, and they'll think it's jetsam that washed up when the city exploded during the siege." He looks pleased with himself.
"Hang on, back up a second. Let me get this straight. You think our bomb guy did this?" John asked.
"Yes. It'd be easy for him to figure out that the Wraith were in the area. We've been tracking them for a while now." McKay said.
"So he gets the Gate to dial by itself in order to distract us so he can broadcast a distress beacon that'll be picked up by ..." John trailed off.
"…by the Wraith, yes, I believe so." McKay finished.
"OK, why?"
"Well, maybe he wants to blow up the Wraith along with the city." Cadman said.
Rodney looks round at her sarcastically. "Two cruisers. They're insignificant compared to all the hiveships that are still out there."
"Well, we don't have much time, so whatever the connection is, let's try to figure it out before the cruisers get here." Illyria said.
҉
CORRIDORS.
Teyla is walking briskly along. Carson runs to catch up with her.
"Teyla. You're in an awful hurry."
"I am returning to the mainland. We are evacuating my people back to the city; I had to work out some arraignments."
"Oh yes, the Wraith are on their way. I just heard."
"They will be protected under the cloak until the danger is passed."
"Unfortunately, if they don't find that bomb, Atlantis may prove even more dangerous."
"They will find it - I am certain."
"Before you go, I need to talk to you about Charin. I've completed my tests, and I must say although she is old and her body is indeed failing her, there are treatments and procedures I can administer to prolong her life."
"Really?"
"Aye - starting with a pacemaker for her heart." Teyla shakes her head, not understanding him. "You see, one of the reasons she's feeling so weak is that her heart is beating in a ... untimely fashion, not pumping nearly enough blood through her body. Now, the condition will continue, but the pacemaker will slow its progress considerably. It could possibly add years to her life."
Teyla smiles, delighted.
"I will let her know. But first I have to get her and my people to safety before the Wraith arrive."
"Of course."
Teyla walks away.
҉
EARTH.
S.G.C.
LANDRY'S OFFICE.
Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman comes to the door and knocks. Landry is pouring himself a cup of coffee. He turns and looks at Walter.
"Not sure I like the look on your face, Chief."
"Sir, the Daedalus just relayed a message informing us that Atlantis requests that they return to help with the bomb investigation."
"Well, tell them "no" for the time being. I need them to hold position in case we gather more intel."
"Sir, that's the problem. They already headed back. They're out of range. We have no way of communicating with them or Atlantis."
"Then there's nothing else we can do for them?"
"No, sir."
҉
ATLANTIS.
Illyria and John's apartment.
Illyria is studying a laptop. John walks in, walks around the bed and looks at her screen.
"Passenger manifest?"
"Yeah, Elizabeth wants me to take a look."
"Any names jump out?"
Illyria sighs. "A few, actually." She looks at the screen again. "I hate this - having to suspect one of your-our- own."
John walks round to the front of the bed and sits down. "Unfortunately the list of suspects may not be limited to the Daedalus."
Illyria stares at him. "You think the Trust operative might still be here in Atlantis?"
"Well, with everything that's happened: the Gate dialling by itself," Illyria leans back against the headboard and puts her hands over her face briefly "the distress beacon..."
Illyria sighs again. "I don't know - getting themselves blown up along with the city doesn't seem part of their 'M.O.' as you explained it."
Rodney knocks on the door and walks to the doorway but for the moment the other two ignore him.
"Well, all it takes is one not to be talked into it." John said.
Illyria thinks about it. "Who around here do you suspect?"
McKay walks in. "What about Lieutenant Cadman, hmm?"
"What?" John says
Illyria frowns at Rodney.
"Hear me out. She's an explosives expert." Illyria nods. "She was all set to leave on the Daedalus but, uh, asked to stay when "something came up." She's always around when things happen. When the distress beacon started ..."
"She's one of the most trusted officers in my command - not to mention the fact that she was stuck in your head for some time." John firmly said.
"Do you always have to keep bringing that up?"
"I bring it up because you of all people should know: she'd never do something like that."
"Well, maybe she was brainwashed, huh? The Goa'uld are very clever when it comes to things like manipulating ..."
Laura approaches the room.
"Excuse me. Illyria."
Illyria smiles at her. "Yes."
"Flight just confirmed that the Daedalus has landed alongside the east pier."
"Thank you."
Laura throws a black look at Rodney's back before turning and walking away. Rodney looks nervous, unsure of what she might have heard.
҉
SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.
DAEDALUS.
Caldwell and Elizabeth are walking through the corridors.
"I wanna begin the interrogations immediately. All crew and civilian passengers have been confined to their quarters until I have a chance to talk to each of them separately."
"Colonel. This investigation falls under Atlantis jurisdiction, which means they will be conducted under my command." Caldwell grimaces. "Now, I welcome your assistance, but as far as questioning potential suspects..."
Caldwell interrupted. "Doctor. One of the people aboard my ship may be an operative of The Trust."
"Yes. And the sooner I figure out who that is, the better for all of us."
Caldwell looks irritated, but knows better than to prolong the argument.
"Alright, who's first on your list?"
CONTROL ROOM
CONFERENCE ROOMS
"You think I did it?" Kavanagh asked
Kavanagh is seated at a small table in one of the conference rooms off the Control Room. The doors are closed and a marine stands guard. Illyria walks towards the table.
"Relax, Doctor. You're just one of many people I'm questioning." She sits down opposite him.
"No - I'm pretty sure mine's the first name on what is probably a very short list. And why are you questioning me?"
"Shortly after the siege, you couldn't wait to leave Atlantis. A few months later, Doctor Weir received an urgent request from you to be allowed to return. Your second tour lasted three weeks, and suddenly you asked to leave again."
"Yeah - because working conditions became intolerable for me here. I have no friends here, my work is not respected..."
"And this occurs only days before we discover a bomb has been planted in the city."
"Right! Of course! So obviously I did it." He sits back and folds his arms.
"Given the circumstances, can you not see how such behavior might arouse suspicion?"
"Weir's suspicion, sure. Seeing as how she never cared for me, nor valued the talents I brought to this expedition."
"Her personal feelings towards you, no matter what they may be, have nothing to do with this."
Kavanagh was laughing sarcastically. "Oh, please!" He laughs again. "Everything she does is motivated by personal feelings. She's driven by emotion, not reason. It's why I've always felt she's not capable of doing this job. She don't have the..." he purges his lips as if to say a word beginning with 'b', but changes his mind "strength to be leading the fight against the Wraith."
"If I remember correctly, you were the one who wanted to - what was it? - run and hide?"
"And at the time, I was right. If the Daedalus hadn't arrived at the eleventh hour, this city and everyone in it would have been wiped out because of your recklessness. There no need for The Trust to blow it up when Doctor Weir's at the helm!"
҉
ATLANTIS MAINLAND.
CHARIN'S TENT.
Charin lies in bed as Teyla hurries around the tent packing some things.
"Most of the others have already been transported to the city. A medical team will be by shortly to take you in the next Jumper."
"Always running. Always looking to the sky in fear. Soon I shall be free of this burden."
Teyla walks over to the bed.
"Charin. Doctor Beckett said he can help you - give you something to make you feel better, live longer."
"I feel fine, Teyla. I welcome this. This is not to be feared."
"You are all I have left. My family - my mother, my father - they are all gone." Her eyes start to fill with tears. "If you leave me, I will truly be alone."
"No. Your people are your family, Teyla - and as you look to them, so they will look to you. They need your strength."
҉
ATLANTIS.
INTERVIEW ROOM.
Illyria is now talking with Doctor Novak.
"You understand that I am interviewing everybody on board the ship?"
"Oh, sure, I know. I mean, whoever planted the bomb was probably eager to get away from the city!" She chuckles nervously, then realizes what she just said. "N-not that I was eager. I was just doing my job. I couldn't have cared less when we left ... n-n... but ... I care about my job, I just didn't..." She trails off, coughing nervously. "You were saying?"
Illyria was smiling at her. "Doctor, you have nothing to be nervous about here."
Novak was laughing "I know, I know ... unless, of course, I was guilty, then I would have some..." She hiccups. "Sorry."
"Have you noticed any crewmembers' ... change in behavior the last few weeks? I don't know - anybody acting in a suspicious or odd manner?"
Lindsay shakes her head. "No ... Wait." She thinks for a moment, then looks at Illyria. "I-I-I-I mean, no." She hiccups. "Oh, for God's sake!"
"Can I get you some water?"
"Uh, no, wouldn't do any good. I get the hiccups when I'm nervous - it goes way beyond annoying." She takes a breath. "But wait ..." She thinks for a moment. "The pony-tailed guy, Doctor Kavanagh? He was always hanging around, looking over your shoulder, poking through computers. Kinda creepy." Illyria sits back in her seat, looking at her. Lindsay looks nervous. "Well, not really, uh ... creepy as much as, um, peculiar, maybe, uh ... I-I-I-I don't know the guy, he could be a great person. I mean, who am I to judge, you know?" She hiccups. "I'll just shut up."
Rodney's voice comes over Illyria's headset.
"Illyria."
"Excuse me." She told Lindsey and activates her headset. "Yes, Rodney?"
"Can you come to the Control Room? I've discovered something important."
"I'm on my way." She spoke to Lindsay. "If you'll excuse me?" She stands.
"Yes, sir. Uh, ma'am."
Illyria leaves the room.
҉
CONTROL ROOM.
"What have you found?"
"Guess what? Turns out there's no bomb after all." John said.
"Uhhhh, there's no actual explosive device. The explosion will come, but, uh, from somewhere else. Now, with the Wraith on the way, we'll need to cloak the city, right?" McKay asked.
"Yes." Illyria said.
"Well, in order to do that, we need to reconnect the ZedP.M. in order to supply the necessary power."
"And what about the Stargate?"
"Ah - I've physically disabled the D.H.D. It won't be able to dial, so it won't be a problem. Now, the ZedP.M., however, will be. Now, as you know, the Zero Point Module controls the flow of massive amounts of power."
"Like a dam." John explained.
"No, it's not like a dam, it's more like a ... uh ... actually, yes, it's like a dam. If you overload the dam, it breaks, which is why the Ancients put in place failsafes to prevent such a thing from happening."
"Like a spillway." John nodded.
"Could we just stick with failsafes?" McKay asked, annoyed.
John shrugs.
"The problem is, our Trust operative figured out a way to rewrite Atlantis' operating system and disable the failsafes, but mask it in such a way that the city sensors didn't detect it."
"So the dialling of Earth would cause the ZeeP.M. to overload." Illyria said.
"Oh, yeah! And given that dialling another galaxy requires tremendous amounts of power, we're talking catastrophic overload. I mean, the explosion would destroy not just the city, but, uh, most likely the entire planet."
"Can the failsafes be re-enabled?" John asked McKay.
"Yes, but, uh, whoever it was who did this anticipated the possibility that it would be discovered and they put in place a code to block access to it."
"And I'm gonna guess that cracking this code isn't gonna be easy." Cadman asked.
"No, not at all. It is extremely complicated." McKay replied sarcastically.
"But for now you've already disabled the D.H.D. so it's impossible to dial Earth." Illyria said.
"Yeah, but unfortunately, any number of systems can be used in conjunction with each other to, uh, overload the ZedP.M. It'd be a much more gradual build-up than dialling the Gate, which would cause an instantaneous power spike, but, um, equally as effective in its results."
"And we can't disconnect the ZeeP.M. because we need the cloak for when the Wraith cruisers arrive."
McKay was pointing at her. "Bingo! Which is why our bomber activated the distress beacon, alerting them. And that is how the Wraith coming to Atlantis is connected to detonating the bomb."
҉
INTERVIEW ROOM.
Illyria is interrogating Kavanagh again.
"Rewriting Atlantis' operating system and disabling the failsafes - now that takes someone with incredible intelligence."
"You mean like Doctor McKay?"
"And also someone who's very eager to leave Atlantis shortly before the weekly dial-in to Earth."
"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Doctor Zelenka currently stuck offworld somewhere? Why isn't he a suspect?"
"Our list of suspects isn't open for discussion, but off the record, Zelenka went against his will and I couldn't picture him working for The Trust."
"Oh, but you can picture me?"
"In a heartbeat."
Kavanagh looks up at her, nods, and looks upset, though it's not clear whether he's faking it. "I see." He takes off his glasses and rubs his eye. "Guilty until proven innocent. Is that what you did with your own people?"
Illyria ignored the question "I've been going over the communication logs from the Daedalus and it seems that you sent three unauthorized encoded messages back to Atlantis shortly after the dial-in was halted."
"I have a few friends here I was concerned about. I wanted to see if they were alright."
"I thought you said you didn't have any friends here."
Kavanagh smiles ruefully.
"Now, the messages were encrypted, but do not worry, I've got people deciphering them right now."
"What do you want from me?"
"I want the access codes so I can re-enable the ZeeP.M. failsafes!"
"Well, if you're waiting for me to tell you, then you'll be waiting a while, seeing as I have no idea what that code is."
"No, I think you do know it. And since I don't have the time to wait any more, I'll just have to decide the quickest way to get it from you."
Kavanagh laughs. "Like what? Are you gonna torture me?"
Illyria stares at him. "You had asked me if I had done this with my people. Now you have your answer." After a moment, Kavanagh drops his gaze nervously.
҉
CONTROL ROOM.
Elizabeth is looking at the screen showing the approaching Wraith cruisers.
"Could the cloaking cause the ZeeP.M. to overload?"
"Yes, but I can, uh, turn off some of the systems to keep the power levels short of an overload."
"Maybe we should start thinking about evacuating the city." John said.
"Well, there's not a lot of options there. Still, it can't hurt to have a plan ready, if we can think of one." McKay said. "Besides, Illyria would kill you if that happened."
҉
INFIRMARY.
Charin is lying in one of the beds. Teyla goes over to Carson in another part of the infirmary.
"Doctor Beckett. Why was Charin moved in here?"
"So I could keep a closer eye on her - tend to her if needed."
"I told you she does not wish for any treatment."
"You have to understand, Teyla, that as a doctor I can't just stand by here and let her die. I took an oath to preserve life."
"You may keep her here to make her comfortable, but if the time comes, as much as it pains both of us, we must not interfere."
Carson looks round at Charin, then turns back to Teyla and speaks reluctantly.
"Alright."
҉
CONFERENCE ROOM.
Elizabeth, Illyria, John, Rodney and Caldwell are there.
"I'm still working on cracking the new failsafe code but, uh, so far, no luck." McKay said.
"How are things coming with Kavanagh? He still your prime suspect?" Caldwell asked Illyria
"Yes, he is. I'm having some difficulty with him, though. He's not exactly the most co-operative of people."
"Ooh, well, there's a shocker!" McKay said.
"If he does know the code, I highly doubt he's gonna just give it to us." Weir said.
Ronon is sitting on the balcony railing just outside the Conference Room and has been listening to the conversation. He now stands up and walks in, taking a knife out of a sheath on his leg and flipping it nonchalantly.
"Give me ten minutes with him. I'll get it out of him."
Rodney shakes his head and grimaces.
"Might not be a bad idea. Maybe it is time to take this interrogation to the next level." John said.
"Look, I hate Kavanagh as much as the next guy - probably even more - but, um, we really need to be sure about this." McKay said.
"I agree. If there's the slightest chance that he's innocent, then..." Weir said.
"We don't have time to debate morality. Unfortunately sometimes you have to do unpleasant things to save lives." Caldwell said.
҉
CONTROL ROOM.
As everyone exits the Conference Room, Rodney walks into the Control Room and sees Laura working on a laptop.
"What are you doing?"
"I was going over the systems command logs for the past few months."
McKay folded his arms. "Why?"
"I noticed a gap in one of the data stream sequences from several weeks ago." Rodney looks exasperated. "It's probably nothing but I thought it might indicate a..."
"...a deletion point, yes. Believe it or not, I have had some experience with these systems; more, say, than a tap-dancing explosives expert."
"I was just trying to help, Rodney."
"Hey, here's a thought: failsafe code. Why don't you help with that?"
Laura looks annoyed but before Rodney can continue the argument, he spots something nearby and activates his headset radio.
"Elizabeth." McKay walks over to the screen monitoring the Wraith cruisers.
"Yes, Rodney?"
"The cruisers are getting closer. I think it's time to reconnect the ZedP.M. and cloak the city."
"Go ahead."
҉
POWER ROOM.
Rodney inserts the Z.P.M. back into its slot and it lights up. He goes over to the control console.
"Switching to ZedP.M. power ... now."
The Z.P.M. sinks down into its slot. From an outside perspective, the city disappears behind the cloak.
҉
CONTROL ROOM.
Rodney is back in the Control Room, working on a laptop.
"How're we doing?" Elizabeth
"Well, I've powered down several of the secondary systems but, uh, so far, ZedP.M. levels are holding below overload. Huh - I think we're gonna be OK."
҉
INFIRMARY.
Teyla sits at Charin's bedside as Carson stands nearby. Charin is struggling to draw breath.
"Are you in pain? Doctor Beckett can give you something to ease it."
Charin looks at her.
"Teyla." Charin says weakly.
Teyla was smiling down at her. "Yes, Charin?"
"Our journey begins." She smiles at her, then draws one final painful breath. As she breathes out, the monitor attached to her flatlines as she dies. Carson quietly walks over and switches the machine off, then discreetly walks away. Teyla gazes down at Charin and then, with tears spilling down her cheeks, takes Charin's hand and lays her own head down on it.
҉
CONTROL ROOM.
Illyria and Rodney are looking at the screen showing the Wraith cruisers very close to Atlantis.
"They're here!" McKay said in a sing-song voice. In his normal voice "Two Wraith cruisers, just outside our atmosphere."
"So far they don't behave in a way that would indicate they're aware of us."
An alarm beeps.
"Rodney." Cadman says.
"What?"
"The city's inertial dampeners just began powering up."
"What?" McKay jumped up.
Cadman worked furiously on the laptop. "I-I-I'm trying to shut it down but it's requiring a code."
"Get out of there." McKay shoves her aside and looks at the screen. "It's the star drive!"
"It'll overload the ZeeP.M!" Illyria said, knowing full well the effects.
"Way overload it."
"How soon before that happens?"
"Thirty minutes at the most, and this city will be vaporized."
҉
CONFERENCE ROOM.
Elizabeth, Illyria, John, Rodney, Ronon and Caldwell walk in.
"We need to initiate some evacuation plans." Weir said, not looking at Illyria's pained face.
John held Illyria's hand, but talked to Weir. "I told you, the Daedalus is our only option. We can't use the Stargate, we can't go to the mainland."
"I agree. We'll fit as many people aboard the ship as we possibly can ..." Caldwell said.
"There is nowhere near enough room for everyone!" McKay yelled.
"We're gonna have to make room." John said.
"No-no-no-no-no, you don't understand. The life support system can't handle that many people - not enough air to go around. They'd never make it back to Earth." McKay said.
"What about another planet? There's one nearby in this solar system, remember? The one we found the crashed Wraith cruiser. That took us fifteen hours by Puddle Jumper. It's a blink of the eye for the Daedalus." John asked.
"And then we could use the Puddle Jumpers to ferry the rest of the people." Illyria suggested.
"The quickest thing to do is get the code." Ronon leans on the table and stares at Illyria. "Just let me in with Kavanagh - I'll get it from him."
Illyria looks at him wanting to nod, but unwilling to over step her bounds with Weir who was unwilling to take that step.
"ZedP.M. overload in..." McKay consults his tablet computer "twenty-four minutes."
Illyria looks at John, who gazes back at her meaningfully. She looks at Ronon again, forgetting about Weir, and then nods.
"Do it."
Ronon looks at John, who nods to him, then he turns and leaves the room.
҉
CHAMBER.
The Athosians have found a room somewhere in Atlantis with what looks like stained glass in the windows. It looks almost like a church. A bed has been placed in the centre of the room and Charin's body lies on it. She is covered with decorated blankets, and there are several different coloured cushions under and around her head. As several other Athosians busy themselves with preparations, Teyla kneels at the bedside wearing a stunning turquoise floor-length dress with long ornate flowing sleeves. Carson hurries into the chamber and stops at the sight of the preparations.
"Oh God!" Carson hurries over to Teyla as she stands up. "Teyla, what are you doing?"
"We are about to begin the Ring Ceremony according to Charin's wishes."
Carson takes her arm and leads her away from the bed. "They're evacuating the city. In a matter of minutes it could all explode."
" We are aware of that, and many of my people are boarding the Daedalus as we speak. I and the others will leave with the final groups aboard the Puddle Jumpers."
"Cutting it a little close, don't you think?"
"I made a promise to Charin, and I intend to keep it, no matter the cost."
Carson sighs as Teyla walks back to Charin's bedside.
҉
INTERROGATION ROOM.
The doors open. Outside, Ronon stands and glares into the room. Kavanagh, who had been sitting with his feet up on the table, stares in panic and brings his feet down to the floor, then stands up. Ronon walks slowly and threateningly into the room, stopping just inside the door and glaring at Kavanagh, who stares back at him, terrified. Ronon starts to walk forward towards him.
҉
FUNERAL CHAMBER.
Teyla stands at Charin's bedside as Carson stands with the other mourners. Standing stones now surround the bed in a circle. Several of the other Athosians begin to play a lilting lament on instruments. The tune has a somewhat Celtic style. Teyla begins to sing in a pure, clear soprano voice. The song, with choral backing, intermingles with the following scenes. Even when Teyla isn't singing, the music and choral backing continues in the background as other scenes take place.
# Beyond the night, a rising sun
# Beyond the night, the battle's won
# The battle's won.
(In the Control Room)
Rodney and Laura frantically work on their laptops, trying to decipher the failsafe code. Laura throws up her hands in despair but continues working. Rodney looks across at the screen showing the approaching cruisers, then gets back to work.
# Fear and shame now in the past
# Pain and sorrow gone at last
# Gone at last.
(In her quarters)
Illyria sits on her bed, anguishing about what she is allowing Ronon to do. She stands up and walks over to the window, gazing out into the sea.
In space, the two Wraith cruisers fly towards the planet.
In the Control Room, Elizabeth has joined Rodney.
"ZedP.M. overload in ten minutes. We should think about getting to the Jumpers." McKay says.
Laura hurries back into the room and goes over to the two of them.
"Doctor Weir. Rodney. I found something."
# Circle renewed, peace will be found
# Beyond the night on sacred ground.
John runs into the Interrogation Room.
"Stop!" He stares at what he sees. "What did you do to him?"
The camera pans around and we see Ronon standing over Kavanagh, who is lying on the floor on his back, unconscious.
"Nothing. He fainted before I could touch him."
John tries to hide a grin.
On Daedalus, Caldwell sits in his chair on the Bridge.
"Doctor Weir, we're ready to go. We'll meet you at the rendezvous site."
An Asgard transporter beam sweeps him off the Bridge and he reappears sitting on a chair in Atlantis' Conference Room. He looks around in shock, then stands up.
"What the hell's going on here?"
Illyria and Elizabeth are standing on the other side of the table. Ronon and John stands near Caldwell and paces back and forth behind him during the rest of the conversation.
"I asked Hermiod to beam you here so you could give us the access code." Illyria said.
"What?"
"Lieutenant Cadman discovered a gap in the system command logs that indicated two deletion points that she ..." Weir said.
"Look, we don't have time for this." Caldwell said.
Illyria steps forward. "Your identification code was used to identify this city's operating system. You copied it, took it back to The Trust, whose Goa'uld scientists then rewrote the program to overload the ZeeP.M. You then brought it back here and uploaded it into the Atlantis computers."
Incredulously, John said, "You think that I'm working for The Trust?"
"We know you're working for The Trust," John pulls a pistol out of a holster on his leg and cocks the gun, though he doesn't raise it yet "so give us the code."
Caldwell looks at them for a moment, then his eyes flash. He's a Goa'uld. Now John raises his pistol and aims it at him. Illyria takes a couple of steps backwards.
"Oh, my God!"
Smugly, in the dual voice of a Goa'uld, Caldwell said, "I will never give you that code."
John looks around at Illyria. She looks back at him for a moment, then turns and leaves the room. John continues to hold his pistol on Caldwell.
"I warn you, as a Goa'uld I now possess the strength of many men."
Ominously, Ronon said, "Won't be a fair fight, then."
He kicks the chair out of the way and grabs Caldwell, slamming him against the wall. As John watches with his pistol still aimed, Ronon punches Caldwell hard in the face, then picks him up and throws him across the table and onto the floor on the other side. As Caldwell lies on his back, Ronon heads for him again but John holds out his hand to stop him.
"Hold on."
As Caldwell struggles to stand, John draws another weapon from a holster. This time it's a taser. He fires it at Caldwell and the electrodes hit him in the chest. As electricity pulses through them, Caldwell convulses, groaning. John keeps the power going for several seconds, then releases the trigger. Caldwell collapses, staring in agony, and his eyes flash. The Goa'uld symbiont inside him can be heard squealing in pain. John pulls the trigger again and electricity floods Caldwell's body again. He convulses, groaning in agony. John keeps the power going for several more seconds, then releases the trigger. Caldwell collapses again, panting and in great pain.
"Colonel?" John asked as Caldwell gasps for breath. "Colonel?"
Weakly, but in his normal voice, Caldwell replied. "Sheppard."
"We don't have much time - we need that access code."
Caldwell grimaces, clearly fighting for control against his injured Goa'uld symbiont.
In the Power Room, the Zero Point Module is pulsing ominously.
(In the Control Room)
"ZedP.M. levels are spiking. We need to go now." McKay said.
As he and Laura jump up from their seats and begin to run towards the stairs to the Jumper Bay, John and Ronon race into the Control Room. John hands Rodney a notebook.
"Access code."
Rodney grabs it and heads back to his station. He sits down and starts to type in the code as the screen flashes "OVERLOAD." As he finishes entering the code, a message comes up reading, "AUTHORIZATION CODE ACCEPTED - FAILSAFES REENABLED." The "OVERLOAD" message disappears. Rodney sinks back into his chair with a sigh of relief. As Elizabeth smiles at him, Ronon leans on a console and sinks his head down onto his arm. Illyria walks over to him, rubbing his back, and kissed the top of his head.
҉
CHARIN'S FUNERAL CHAMBER
The music has continued throughout the previous scenes. Teyla continues to sing.
# River flows, led by the wind
# First new breath, our journey begins
# Our journey begins.
҉
CORRIDOR.
Carson and Laura are walking along together, Laura giggling about something. Rodney spots them.
"Oh, Carson. Hermiod's just beginning initial calculations on the extraction." McKay said.
"Extraction?" Cadman asked.
"Now?" Carson asked.
"Mmm-hmm. Hermiod's gonna attempt to extract the Goa'uld from Colonel Caldwell using Asgard beaming technology."
Carson looks at Laura. "Quite remarkable, actually."
"And complicated. The calculations are impossibly intricate. You don't wanna go beaming out a chunk of his brain." McKay smiles.
"Lovely, Rodney!"
"Hmm." He spots someone coming up behind Carson and Laura. "Hey! Look who's back!"
Carson and Laura turn to see Radek stomping along the corridor, glowering at them all. His face is painted several different colors and white straw has been woven into his hair using colored braid.
"It's Mister Mom! How were the kids?" McKay asked, smiling.
Radek turns and points at him furiously, momentarily lost for words. Finally he manages to string a sentence together.
"Do not even speak to me." He glares at him for a moment, then turns and stomps off. Rodney smiles smugly.
҉
JOHN AND ILLYRIA'S QUARTERS
Illyria is sitting on the bed. She aimlessly toyed with the blue baby blanket when John comes in, grinning.
"Did you see Zelenka?"
Illyria glanced up at him. "No." She looks down at the blanket again.
"You should take a quick look before he washes his face. The kids did a real number on him!"
He perches on the edge of the bed. Illyria looks up at him again, her face serious.
"I asked Carson to give everyone on the base a full examination. If Colonel Caldwell could have a Goa'uld in him, any of us could."
"It's not a pleasant thought."
"No. No, it isn't." She falls silent for a moment, gazing into space. "I crossed a line, John, with Kavanagh."
"You did what you had to do. The good news was, he wasn't hurt."
"Here we are, gloating about the in-fighting among the Wraith." She looks at him. "How are we any different?"
John looks away, unable to answer her.