A/N: It just keeps going, and going, and going, and …you get the point.
Even though there was no real way around it, and Max more (or less) trusted Dr. Beckett, she still didn't like helping to do what she was doing. The members of the Flock that were still awake helped Dr. Beckett by rotating the mattress on Angel's bed, so that the head was at the foot. Dr. Beckett had some sort of brainwave scanner, and after some fiddling around with the equipment, had it set up to a wireless link-up. After everything was set up, Max carefully carried Angel to her quarters and laid her down, rolling the scanner cart into position when she was done. It began reading, and Max left after brushing a stray strand of hair out of Angel's face. Her brown eyes were no longer filled with tears but clouded with worry. And as she walked out of the room Fang came up beside her, wrapping a strong arm around her shoulders.
"Angel will be okay." He said, looking down at Max. His voice was soft and he squeezed her slightly as she nodded absently. Her mind was filled with the horrible image of Angel's face as she screamed and disappeared behind the whirling lights. Her eyes had been full of terror as she shouted Max's name. The fact that Max hadn't been able to rescue her only made her feel sick with herself.
Fang sensed this and took her face carefully in his hands. "Max, look." Max glanced at him and he said, "It's. Not. Your. Fault."
Sickbay:
Max and Fang were down in sickbay, waiting for Dr. Beckett in a tense silence. A moment later, Dr. Beckett bustled down an adjacent hallway. When he saw the lead members of the Flock, he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Well, come on in, I have something important to show ye." He said kindly, waving his arm forward. Max and Fang followed, finally stopping in front of a TV that showed several different lines, a bird's eye view of the brain with red spots in various places, and a large 81.
"Her synaptic activity is quite high. Higher than normal, actually. The only time I've seen a number this high in relation to synaptic activity was when Rodney got hit by the Ascension Accelerator. In his case, the synaptic activity of his brain continued to increase until it nearly killed him. Basically, his brain was over thinking everything, and certain lower processes such as heart, liver, breathing, all that stuff that we do without thinking about it, well for him, his brain couldn't handle it. As far as I can remember, he invented a new type of math, redesigned the shielding systems for the Daedalus, came up with several performance upgrades for computers, and his mental abilities went through the roof. The only thing that didn't change was his ego. It just felt like his ego went down because everything else was ramping up." Dr. Beckett paused, concerned. "Are ye understanding what I'm saying?"
"Yeah. How far did he go before the lower processes started shutting down?" Max asked.
"He continued without medical assistance until his synaptic activity reached 96 percent. After Angel wakes up, I want to perform a synaptic scan once a day to monitor the level. I think that things may be different, but I just don't know enough about Ancient systems to tell." He laughed briefly. "The only piece of Lantean tech I'm comfortable operating is the scanner."
Max and Fang nodded and glanced at each other for a moment. As if a silent conversation had happened both Max and Fang looked back at the doctor with determined eyes. They seemed to have come to some sort of conclusion. Max walked out.
"Thanks for the info Doc." Fang said. He then followed Max out, leaving Dr. Beckett to his thoughts.
The next morning, Angel's quarters:
Max was on watch over Angel when the sun began streaming through the stained glass windows in her quarters. A moment later, Angel stirred. When she opened her eyes, she saw Max sitting nearby.
"Max? Am I in trouble?" she asked, wide eyed with memory.
Max kicked the question around for a bit. Finally she shook her head. "I don't think so, sweetie. You're not in trouble with me, but there could be things happening in your brain that…that could kill you if we can't reverse it."
Angel nodded as if it all made perfect sense. Max wished she didn't have to be so frank with Angel. She was seven years old for Christ's sake! But Angel was no ordinary seven year old. No where near it….
"But, now that you're up, we can take that scanner back to Dr. Beckett, and see what he has to say about this whole thing." Max said encouragingly.
"I'm hungry. Can we eat first?" Angel asked.
Max smiled at the look on Angel's face. "Sure kiddo. C'mon, we'll get the rest of the Flock, then we'll eat. Promise."
The Flock congregated in one of the many mess halls in Atlantis, and sat down together with trays of food.
"So." Angel started. She'd already been reintroduced to an overly excited Flock with hugs and yells and jumping. "Anything unusual happen last night? I mean, besides what happened to me."
Max hadn't noticed anything, but Nudge noted that she found she had a good hand for sketching, and there was a sort of fashion studio in her room.
"…and so I was sketching this dress I had this great idea for, and then when I finished, I noticed that it was hanging off of the mannequin, and it was in my size, and everything! I mean, this is great and all, but the only thing I miss is my wings. Maybe I'm able to like absorb them and then regrow them later? That would be cool, cause then I could be a supermodel, and not have to worry about my wings, and then I could go flying after a fashion shoot, oh, mmmph!"
"Thanks, Ig."
"No problem. Speaking of things unusual, I found six towers and a laptop in my room this morning."
"Towers?" Max asked, unsure what he was talking about. She put down her fork full of spaghetti. It wasn't her favorite. But it was food and went a long way towards 3,000 calories.
"Yeah, you know, the bulky computers that we can't haul around cause they're so heavy? I have six of those, and a laptop with two secondary screens. Basically, I have all the power I need to do the green screen stuff that Le Gasman and I have been talking about."
Gazzy then told his part.
"I found a nice laptop in my room this morning, and lots of parts. You know, the good kind." Iggy stifled a snicker at the way Gazzy said ' the good kind'. Max glared at Iggy and sensing her gaze he raised his hands defensively.
"Basically, I've got bomb parts and flamethrower parts, and flame jet parts, and everything I could ever need to do my pyrotechnic stuff." Gazzy finished.
Fang hadn't noticed anything, or if he did, he chose not to speak up about it. Max also had not noticed anything, but Angel noticed several things.
"You guys are together." she stated. "As in, all the way together. I can feel everyone's minds, and I'm even hungrier than I normally am. Also," here she paused, and gestured at her cup, which flew across the mess hall to the water cooler. The cold tap opened, and the cup was filled. After a moment, the glass flew back to Angel's hand. "I seem to be telekinetic. I can hear Atlantis, and one more thing. I found this in my pocket." She fished out a simple chain with eight Lantean characters on it. She laid it down on the table.
Nudge picked it up, the only one not completely baffled by Angel's words, and examined it closely. "It's pretty, but…" she trailed off at a look from Max.
"Well, I'm going to wear it." Angel stated. Her voice indicated that she would not be argued with, and a moment later, the necklace shot out of Nudge's hand, and hung itself around Angel's neck. The eight characters glowed as soon as it was secured around her neck.
"Angel, it's glowing." Gazzy said nervously, pointing a small finger at his sister's neck.
"I know." She said sweetly. "The letters are 'A, t, l, a, n, t, i, s.' Atlantis!"
At the proclamation of the city's name, the metal glowed even more brightly. Suddenly, the entire necklace sank into her, and the skin sealed over on top of it.
Angel flinched, and despite all the warnings she had heard she read the various minds of the Flock who were now gaping at her.
"I- I think I should go see Dr. Beckett now."
Without another word, she turned and dashed down the hallway, doors opening well before her.
Sickbay:
Dr. Beckett had just finished breakfast with a patient who was rather depressed from being alone. He was washing his hands when he heard the groaning swoosh of a door opening, and the footfalls of someone running towards the Sickbay. He looked just in time to see Angel enter, the synaptic scanner cart trailing as if on an invisible leash.
"What can I do for you, luv? I see ye brought the scanner back with ye."
"I need a full scan, and you can do your brain scan thing too." She said. Angel wasn't even breathing hard from running up seventeen floors, nonstop.
"Okay…," he keyed in the commands. "What brings you here in such a hurry?"
"I found a necklace in my pocket this morning when I woke up. It was probably there the whole time after the thing in that lab. It had 'Atlantis' spelled out in Ancient, and I could read it. Carson, I've never even seen Ancient before!"
"That's not the only thing." he probed. He was a bit surprised by her use of his first name, mainly because he didn't recall telling her. Then again, someone else might have told her.
"So, I pulled it out of my pocket while I was eating with my family, and then I decided I was going to wear it after I figured out what it said. It actually took me a moment before I figured it out, but now, wherever I see Ancient, I can read it as fast as I see it. After I put it on, it kind of glowed a little, and when my mind put together the letters, and I realized, I blurted the city's name out loud. At that, it glowed really brightly, and then it sunk into my skin, and then my skin sealed over it. I can't even feel it anymore." The doctor frowned as he glanced at the scanner. He looked back down at Angel and shook his head. "Well, I'm not showing anything here. Maybe it dissolved?"
Eragon, floating location:
Eragon had been assigned temporary quarters, and had rested well last night. This city was quite impressive. Just by wanting the lights to be brighter or dimmer, it would happen. He performed his morning toilet, and walked out of his room. There had been a disturbance earlier, but he hadn't felt like investigating. He felt sorry for Saphira. She was too big to fit within the general areas of the city, and so had ended up just staying outside. To make up for it, he had allowed Saphira to merge with him, allowing her to experience Atlantis the way he was.
"I want to see the city." She said without warning. "Now." Her voice held a slight growl on the 'no'. Eragon grinned, he was used to her feisty temper.
"Fine, let me get ready. I need to get something to eat, anyway."
"Fine, but don't take too long, we don't have forever here."
Next door, the familiar groaning swoosh sound was heard as the door was opened. A moment later, Eragon's door chime sounded. Eragon swiped the control, and the door opened. Outside stood Ajax, with Amaranth draped over his shoulders.
"Hi. I wanted to drop by and say that I'm sorry for abandoning you like I did last night. Can I come in?" Eragon saw no point in saying no. "Fine, but I'm about to go find some food, wherever that is."
"Well, then I'll just go with you. I know where the mess hall is, and I can guide you there." Ajax was only too cheerful. Amaranth, sensing her Rider's contentment, purred as Eragon reached up and stroked her throat.
"This Rider knows how to treat a dragon!" Eragon grinned at Ajax who rolled his eyes.
"So…I know I'm going to regret this, but…what was the emergency you were called away for last night?"
"Y- uh…I'm not exactly clear on all the details up to now, but apparently, the Flock, you know, the children with wings? They were exploring the city, and it seems Atlantis had a lab that housed the 'Joiner Project'. There was this alcove, just large enough for one person to stand comfortably in. Angel had stepped inside, to lookup at the ceiling there, or some such, and the doors closed behind her, sealing her inside the alcove. The machinery in that lab vaporized Angel, and it was about half an hour before the machinery returned Angel just the way it had taken her. I had been called in because I'm fluent in the Ancient Language."
Eragon's curiosity rose considerably at that. "Really? Then what's the word for fire?"
Ajax mentally ran through all the words available, before picking out the Lantean term for fire, and saying it out loud.
Eragon laughed and shook his head. "Ah…whatever that was…no. The true name for fire is brisingr." At his word, the sword on his hip burst into flames.
Ajax cast an amused glance at the sword who's thermal signature had changed so drastically. Eragon followed his gaze.
"Oh. I'm still in the habit of using the true name for all fire, and I named my sword Brisingr." At this, the scabbard wreathed itself in flames, and the hilt flared. The odd part was that there was no damage to the sword, scabbard, clothing, or Eragon himself.
"What won't they come up with next?" Ajax muttered. "Fire that doesn't burn!"
Amaranth snaked her head around her Rider's face to better see the sword. Then, in full view of Eragon, she parted her jaws in the distinctive dragon laugh.
"And just why is your dragon laughing at me?" Eragon asked, slightly offended. In his mind, he heard Saphira laughing as well.
"I've educated Amaranth in the things of my world, and she already knows much about this world. I had said to her, 'What won't they come up with next? Fire that doesn't burn!'" At this, even Eragon had to admit the humor of the situation.
He doused his sword's otherworldly flames, and then said "Well, I'm still interested in food. So I ask again, where's the food?"
"Right this way." As Ajax took the lead, Amaranth looked back at Eragon and grinned before launching herself off of her Rider's shoulders, flying towards Eragon before reversing course, and taking one of the side halls.
"Where's she going?" Eragon asked.
"Outside. I don't think you want to know her exact words on the subject."
"Why? I can handle it."
"She said that she wanted to personally meet the dragon that's been graciously putting up with you. She's a cheeky one, alright. I'll have my hands full with her later, when she's big enough that I'm riding her, not the other way around." As Ajax talked, he walked into the mess hall. "Welcome to the South mess hall, time: breakfast Alpha shift." Ajax picked up a tray, a plate and a set of silverware. Behind him, Eragon mimicked him, attempting to blend in. Ajax looked over the selections, and loaded up on scrambled eggs with ham and onions. He then grabbed a serving of potatoes, and walked away from the buffet.
A moment later, Eragon walked over to the table where Ajax was sitting. "There's so much! What should I get?"
"Whatever your wee little heart desires." Ajax said, setting down the tray.
Eragon decided not to press the issue about the 'wee little heart' and eventually filled a plate with food. Ajax had returned to the buffet line, but instead of getting anything to eat, he snatched a cup off the end, and filled it from a trash can designated 'Intergalactic Insect Slime'. Eragon did the same, though he murmured several lines from the ancient language before determining it to be safe.
"Hey, look." Ajax pointed at the door where four members from the delegation walked in. "It looks to me like Sheppard's team is still doing that rotating mess hall thing. Due to the sheer size of the city, we have five separate mess halls. We're here," Ajax jabbed at a map of the city that he had roughly sketched out on a napkin. "At the South Mess. There are also the North, East, and West Messes. And at the base of the central tower, is what we refer to as 'Mess Central' They are so busy that we actually have to book reservations to get in there anymore." As he talked, the team had already gotten their food and drink, and due to the fact that there were only four spaces left, walked over to Ajax and Eragon.
"Hey, can we join you?" Sheppard asked.
Ajax looked at Eragon as if to say, 'your call'.
"Yes." Eragon replied.
The team sat down, and Ronon sat right next to Eragon, who muttered several spells to protect his nose from the odor of Ronon's armor and clothing. He also noticed that Ronon was just eating with his hands instead of fiddling with the silverware like everyone else.
"So… you can do like magic and stuff, right?" Sheppard asked.
Eragon was somewhat amused. "Yes, it's kind of normal here. Let me show you. He unbuckled his sword, and laid it down on the table. Everyone, including Rodney, stopped eating to admire the weapon. Ronon saw the strength and feral beauty in it, while Teyla noted the grace. Sheppard just thought it looked cool, while Rodney's keen eyes picked out the glyph and several other 'technical' points about the sword.
Finally, he couldn't help himself. "What's the glyph on the scabbard mean?" he asked, ego momentarily forgotten.
Eragon's grin burst into a full blown smile. "Brisingr." he said. The sword once again took on it's mantle of spectral flames.
"Scratch cool." Sheppard said. "That's hot."
"Will the heat not damage the temper of the metal?" Teyla asked.
"No, when Runon forged the sword with me, special wards -magical shields- were cast over the sword as it was forged. There is no sword it's equal on the battlefield because it is a Rider's sword, and forged by an elf. It will not bend, break or shatter under the stresses of combat. The only way to break it would be to use inordinately powerful magic against it, and that might not even work, due to the fact that the sword is sharp enough to cut through magic."
"Why isn't it burning through the table?" Rodney wanted to know.
"Because I didn't want it to." Eragon replied. He was having fun with this.
"Brisingr-" the flame show on the sword intensified. "-is the true name of fire. As in, all fire. By having mastery over that one word, I have mastery over any kind of fire I should encounter." He stopped the flow of magic to the fire, and the flames wreathing the sword died away, lingering slightly on the glyph.
"Now, my question for you. Who is it that I hear in my head, and why is it that I can't seem to shut her out? And no, it's not my dragon."
"Well, what does it sound like?" Sheppard asked.
"SHE sounds peaceful, in control, content," his eyes flicked back and forth as he thought. "Happy, she likes you for some reason."
The team members exchanged glances, and Sheppard grinned. "That would be Atlantis that you're hearing."
"She's somewhat wary of me." Eragon's eyes shot open. "She just told me some of the things she's done for you." John's grin faltered. "Apparently, she waited until you went to room, then dropped you off of the sensor grid, blocked all incoming communications, played music, and locked your doors. Even Rodney couldn't get in. You slept for 16 hours straight." A grin tugged at Eragon's lips. "It is almost as if you are a Dragon Rider. My dragon is quite overly protective of me."
"I heard that!" came Saphira's voice. Eragon ignored her. Through her eyes he could see Amaranth zipping around in the air while she dodged Saphira's tail as she waved it lazily at the younger dragon.
"Yeah, she does things for me that she won't do for the others. The techies just chalk it up to the gene, but I personally think that she's alive."
~Flashback~
"I'm thinking about a nice turkey sandwich right about now." He looked around, and Ford did the same. "Worth a try, sir." Ford said after a moment.
~End Flashback~
"Sheppard!" Rodney said, exasperated.
"Huh? Oh, sorry Rodney, I was just remembering when I went on my second off-world mission. We were taking a Jumper, and Ford was riding shotgun. We went through the 'gate', and I needed to know where to go next. The Heads-Up-Display popped up, and Ford asked me about it. I told him that I was just wondering where to go from there. I then wondered how I would find the people once I was inside, and the life-signs detector slid out on a vertical drawer. I wanted to test this phenomenon, and said, 'Now I'm thinking about a nice turkey sandwich right about now.' We both looked around, but we never saw any sandwich. After a few moments, Ford turned to me and said 'Worth a try, Sir.' He was a great guy 'til he got hopped up on that Wraith enzyme stuff."
"I never really got over the fact that he shot me!" Rodney put in snarkily.
"Well, you ticked him off!" Sheppard snarked back.
Eragon having finished with his meal, stood, and then waited for Ajax to show him what to do with his tray. Ajax dumped the scraps that were left, and ran his plate under the rinser. After Eragon repeated the process, Ajax turned to Eragon.
"Well, where to next?"
Answers to Readers:
Master of the Blood Wolves: I had to research that, and no, Angel is not a version of a 343 Guilty Spark. Angel is part of Atlantis, even though she free to walk around as she pleases. Yes, Q has a way of rubbing everyone wrong. His gifts are usually good intentioned, but…yeah, he tends to finds ways around things and usually his gifts end up being a curse. Once in a while though, his gifts are appreciated.