"There's no telling how much information we could find once we start digging through all the data," Rodney concluded with a glance at Elizabeth sitting on the other side of the table. "If the Ancients had had this sort of access to Wraith research, who knows, they might have been able to defeat the Wraith once and for all."
"Aren't you the least suspicious as to why this building -" Elizabeth started to say.
"Buildings," Rodney corrected. "We were only in the first one. There are three more in the same area, and who knows, we might find out there are others on the planet once we can access the computer systems."
"That's my point," Elizabeth replied. "Why is this facility out in the open? Why didn't the Ancients ever find it?"
"They were busy fighting a war," Rodney countered. "Maybe they weren't looking for it. The point is, we did find it, and we need to go back and get as much information as we can. I'll need Chaudhri and a linguistics team," Rodney added, "and anyone not still on the mainland. Oh, and whatever medical personnel Carson wants to bring."
"And you're sure there are no Wraith on the planet?" Elizabeth asked Sheppard as Rodney made mental notes on what people he'd need and what he'd need them to do.
"The sensors in the jumper didn't find any indications of Wraith or anyone else on the planet," John replied. "And from what we saw inside the building, it doesn't look like anyone has been there for a long time."
Rodney watched as Elizabeth glanced from him to Sheppard and then down at the pad of paper in front of her. He wasn't sure what there was to really think about. They may never get another chance to have this level of access to Wraith technology. What was there to actually think about? he wondered.
Elizabeth looked up from the pad, and Rodney lined up more arguments in favor of an extended mission to the planet in his head in case Elizabeth made the wrong choice.
"All right, I think it's worth the risk of sending more people back to the planet," Elizabeth said.
"Good, I can -" Rodney started to say, but Elizabeth held up a hand.
"To explore this building only," she finished.
"But -"
Elizabeth shook her head. "You said yourself, the building you were in was huge. There's no telling how long it will take to fully explore it. With the research still ongoing on the mainland, we don't have the personnel to cover everything on the planet as well."
"So we suspend the exploration of the mainland," Rodney argued. He saw Teyla frown but ignored her. "This is important."
"Which is why I'm authorising the return trip," Elizabeth replied. "Let's see what we have first before moving on to the rest of the complex."
"Fine," Rodney grumbled and sat back in his chair.
Elizabeth waited a beat, then turned to Sheppard. "Colonel, you need to put together a security force to accompany the science teams. Let's not take any chances," she added.
John nodded and stood. "I'll get with Lorne and work out a roster. Thompson's team is back from P7X-994, and Stackhouse's team is next up in the rotation. We should have plenty of people to cover the science teams."
"I'll have the first group of scientists ready to go tomorrow afternoon,'' Rodney said and stood. "We'll get the power systems integrated, and I can figure out how to connect our computers while Chaudhri's group starts on the translations. Once we know what we're dealing with, I'll have a better idea of where to assign people."
He waved his hand over the sensor and waited for the conference room doors to twist open.
"Rodney," Elizabeth called from behind him, and Rodney ducked his head. He had too many things to do now that the mission had been approved. "I need to speak with you privately for a moment, please."
Rodney froze and exchanged a startled look with Sheppard. "I'll meet you in your lab, and we can assign Marines to each of your science teams," John said.
Rodney nodded and watched as Sheppard and the others left the control room. He walked back to the conference table, sat down, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"What did you want to talk about?" he asked. "I need to get back to my lab and start organising the gear we need to take back with us."
Elizabeth made a few notes on the pad of paper next to her. Once the conference room doors twisted shut, she put down her pen and clasped her hands on the table. "How difficult will it be integrating our computers with the Wraith systems?"
Rodney shrugged. "It depends. Zelenka's engineers have been studying the data we managed to get from those two darts we got our hands on. He thinks he has the basics of how their semi-organic components integrate with their other systems. If the systems inside the building are similar enough, it shouldn't be too difficult to rig up some sort of adapter that will allow us to download their database."
"And Radek can evaluate any of the engineering information discovered in the Wraith computers?"
"Probably," Rodney started to say and stopped. "Why all the questions about Zelenka? He hates going off-world." He uncrossed his arms and stared at Elizabeth as the pieces fell into place. "Oh, you have to be kidding! You still think I want to go back to Earth? Now?"
He stood from his chair and paced in the space between the table and the door. "Why would I want to leave now?" he asked with a scowl. "This is one of the biggest discoveries we've made since we got here!"
"Going back to Earth may be equally as important," Elizabeth told him.
Rodney snorted and held out one hand, palm up. "Let's see, a Wraith research base filled with who knows what sort of information that could not only advance our knowledge of science and technology in general but might be the key to stopping the Wraith once and for all, versus," he held up his other hand, also palm up and slightly lower, "a room full of puffed-up idiots who wouldn't know a new scientific thought if it walked up and shook their hand." He shifted his hands up and down. "Doesn't seem too equal to me."
Elizabeth frowned, and Rodney could tell she was trying to remain calm. "I had a visit from Doctor Heightmyer while you and the rest of your team were on M2R-287," she said.
Rodney dropped his hands and focused on the wall behind Elizabeth's head. He quickly ran through everything he and Heightmeyer had talked about recently, wondering what would be worthy of bringing to Elizabeth's attention. He didn't think he had mentioned anything about his reservations about attending the conference or dealing with his so-called peers. So why -
"She's worried about John," Elizabeth said and leant back in her chair.
Rodney frowned, wondering what any of this had to do with Weir's determination to send him back to Earth. "Worried about him how?"
"Kate believes John needs a break, a chance to find his footing again after being trapped for so long in the time dilation field," Elizabeth explained.
"It was only a couple of hours," Rodney argued.
"For us. For John, it was six months. Six months of wondering when or even if you would find him. Wondering if he'd been forgotten."
Rodney swallowed and looked down at the table.
"I think you should let Radek worry about the Wraith buildings," she said with a patient expression. "You should go back to Earth for the symposium and take John with you. Rochester isn't that far from Niagara Falls, you know."
Rodney looked up in surprise. "How did -"
Elizabeth smiled. "I was there when John suggested the idea to Carson after your … episode in the SGC briefing room following the siege."
Rodney winced at the reminder of collapsing in the middle of a debrief in front of Jackson and a dozen other scientists. One more reason he wasn't looking forward to attending the conference.
"Besides," Elizabeth continued, "several people saw John carving that toy truck while you were both in the infirmary after your trip to Lurra. It wouldn't surprise me if most of the expedition at the time knew about his plan for the two of you to visit the Falls someday."
Rodney looked down at his feet, refusing to meet Elizabeth's gaze. He had already tried once to suggest Sheppard come with him. Granted, his motivation had been for selfish reasons, but John had still brushed him off. What did Elizabeth expect him to do if John flat out told him he wasn't interested in coming back to Earth?
"Just think about what I said," Elizabeth said as Rodney turned toward the conference room doors, brushed his hand over the sensor, and waited for the doors to twist open.
Rodney glanced back at her, jerked his head in a stiff nod, and left the room. He walked back to the transporter considering various ways to ask John to come to New York. He still hadn't found a reason that didn't sound like begging when the transporter arrived at the area with the science labs. He ignored the closed door to his lab and walked into Radek's lab instead.
"Rodney," Zelenka greeted. "I heard about the Wraith complex -"
"Good," Rodney cut him off. "You're in charge of the investigation while I'm gone."
"You're still going to the symposium?" Radek asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Yes," Rodney replied with a scowl. He set his computer on the work table in front of Zelenka and pulled up a file.
"Most of the rooms we found were empty, but there were some that looked like labs that will need to be searched." He changed the screen on the computer. "I've downloaded the maps from the scanner and will send you the files so you know where the control room is located. The console seems to work for anyone, but Teyla might have better luck with the fine controls."
Zelenka started to say something, but Rodney ignored him and pressed on.
"The power source inside the building is likely on the verge of failing, so you will need to bring a couple of the portable generators with you."
"Rodney -" Radek tried again, but Rodney talked over him
"You'll also need to find a way to get our computers to work with the Wraith systems. Elizabeth wants as much of the database as we can grab. Oh, and you'll need to take Beckett with you," he added. "There seemed to be a lot of information on Wraith biology. I'm sure he will want to see it."
"Of course," Radek said with a frown. "I'll make the arrangements and talk to Carson. Rodney, are you -"
Rodney closed the computer, picked it up, and turned toward the door. "Don't forget about the security detail. You'll need to talk to Sheppard about how many Marines you'll want for each of the science teams exploring the building. I'd suggest at least two."
Rodney glanced back at Zelenka. "It will take the Daedalus at least two more weeks to get back to Earth," Rodney said. "And then it's three more to get back here. You have that long to find something impressive before I get back and do all of the work for you."
He glanced at Radek, saw the puzzled expression on Zelenka's face, and ignored it as he left the lab without another word. He wasn't going to try and explain his reasons for going back to Earth to Radek when he wasn't sure he could explain them to himself. Whatever issues Sheppard was having since his rescue, Rodney wasn't going to feed the rumor mill. He certainly wasn't going to confess that he had doubts about his reception by the scientific community.
With the Wraith complex investigation handed off, he switched his brain back to the dual problem of still writing his presentation for his keynote and how he would convince Sheppard to make the trip back to Earth with him. Rodney was still trying to think of an excuse that John would buy when he walked into the lab and found Sheppard waiting for him.
"What did Elizabeth want to talk to you about?" he asked as Rodney dumped his computer on his desk.
"Oh, umm, nothing," Rodney replied and hoped he sounded normal. He never had learnt how to bluff, and he suspected John wouldn't appreciate Elizabeth's attempt to help him cope, as well-meaning as it might be. He glanced over at Sheppard, then walked over to the work table. "She just wanted to remind me the weekly dial-in to Earth was tomorrow at eleven hundred."
"You're still going back to Earth?" Sheppard asked, and Rodney heard the surprise in John's tone. "After everything you said about how important it was to investigate these Wraith buildings?"
Rodney looked up and worked to keep the frustration out of his voice as he said, "As I was recently reminded, I agreed to attend the symposium, and Landry is expecting me." He glanced at John and hesitated. He'd never have a better opening, he knew.
Just ask already, he ordered himself.
"I was," he started to say and stopped. "Maybe you," he tried again and shook his head.
"What?" John asked.
Rodney glanced at John and felt his momentary burst of courage evaporate. "Zelenka will be in charge of the investigation of the Wraith facility while I'm gone," he said instead. "You should probably talk to him about how many Marines to send with the scientists."
John gave him a measured look, and Rodney tried to maintain eye contact, but after a few seconds, he turned back to the computer on his desk. "Look, I have a lot of things I need to get done before tomorrow -"
"Everything okay with you?" John asked, and Rodney heard the note of concern in Sheppard's voice.
"I'm fine," Rodney replied, still not looking at John.
He heard Sheppard step toward him and felt his back muscles tighten in response. He needed time. Time to let go of his frustration that Elizabeth had basically ordered him to leave the exploration of the Wraith complex to Zelenka. Time to figure out how he was going to convince John to come to New York with him. Not to mention time to brace himself for the less than gracious welcome that awaited him from his fellow scientists once he arrived at the conference.
The problem was, he was out of time. He glanced at Sheppard and started to speak, but John beat him to it.
"See you later, then," John said, and Rodney winced at the disappointed tone in Sheppard's voice.
"I wanted to ask," he started to say, but it was too late. John had walked out of the room without a backward glance and turned toward Radek's lab.
"Oh, well done," Rodney muttered to himself as he stared at the empty doorway. "Now what are you going to do?" he asked himself as he sank down in the chair in front of the desk.
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
Rodney stood in the gateroom the next morning, his computer bag over one shoulder and a carryall at his feet, watching the lights race around the 'gate as Chuck dialled Earth. He had stumbled through another aborted attempt during dinner the previous night to ask Sheppard to come with him, but had stopped his rambling when Ronon gave him an impatient glare and told him to spit it out already. In the end, he had focused on eating and left Sheppard, Teyla, and Ronon to discuss their plan for exploring the Wraith building while he was gone.
"Rodney!" Teyla called from behind him as the last chevron locked and the wormhole formed.
Rodney turned and saw her walking toward him with Ronon a few steps behind her. He was surprised but happy they had come to see him off.
"We wanted to wish you good luck at your gathering," Teyla added as she stopped in front of him.
"Oh, umm, thanks," Rodney replied with a nod. "It should be … interesting."
"But not as interesting as a Wraith research base," she said with a knowing smile.
"Something like that," Rodney agreed. He picked up the carryall and turned to the 'gate. "I'll umm, I'll see you guys in a month or so, I guess."
Teyla and Ronon exchanged a quick glance. "Should you not wait for Doctor Weir to say farewell?" Teyla asked.
"She's with Chuck sending the weekly reports," Rodney replied with a puzzled frown. "Why are you -"
"Hey, wait up!" John called, and Rodney had the sneaking suspicion Teyla had been trying to stall his leaving until Sheppard arrived.
Rodney turned and saw John jog into the gateroom. What surprised him was the backpack Sheppard had slung over one shoulder.
"Why is it every time you head back to Earth, you try and leave without saying goodbye?" John asked as he stopped next to Ronon.
"I … You're coming with me?" Rodney asked, completely confused by Sheppard's last-minute appearance.
"I promised you one trip to Niagara Falls," John replied as Teyla gave Rodney a tiny nod. "And I keep my promises."
"Oh, umm," Rodney tugged on the strap for the computer bag, "okay, then."
"Rodney," Elizabeth called down from the balcony above them. "The weekly reports are transmitted, and you are cleared to return to the SGC."
Rodney looked up and saw the satisfied expression on Elizabeth's face when she spotted Sheppard.
"Colonel, General Landry is expecting you as well," she added. "We'll see you when the Daedalus returns next month."
Rodney gave her a tiny wave and turned back to Sheppard, Teyla, and Ronon.
"Watch yourselves," John said to Teyla and Ronon, his expression serious.
"You too," Ronon said with a glance at Rodney.
"We'll be fine," John said with a smile. "The only thing we're in danger from is dying of boredom."
"Hey!" Rodney retorted. "No one asked you to come," he added and immediately regretted it. For whatever reason, John was here even though Rodney hadn't been able to bring himself to come out and ask for the company.
Don't blow it now, he ordered himself and adjusted his grip on the carryall.
John shook his head. "We'll see you guys later," he said to Teyla and Ronon. He glanced up at Elizabeth then walked into the event horizon.
Rodney looked from Sheppard's disappearing back to Teyla and Ronon. "Umm, 'bye, I guess," he said with a wave.
"Good luck," Teyla replied with a smile. "We will make sure Doctor Zelenka saves some of the exploration of the building for when you return."
Rodney nodded, and with one last glance at the gateroom and the view of the ocean out the window, he stepped into the 'gate's shimmering pool.
He stepped through the 'gate on Earth and stopped next to Sheppard as the security team surrounded them.
"Stand down," General Landry ordered as he walked into the embarkation room and waved off the Marines. "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay," Landry greeted as the Marines lowered their weapons and retreated out the door.
"General," John replied with a nod as he walked down the metal ramp.
"Doctor Weir informed us this morning that you were accompanying Doctor McKay to New York," Landry said with a glance from Rodney to John. "I'm not sure how you heard -"
"Heard?" Rodney asked with a suspicious glance at John. "Heard what?"
Landry frowned and motioned them out of the embarkation room. "Come with me," he said and led the way out of the room.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" Rodney asked John as they followed Landry up a set of stairs to the conference room overlooking the stargate.
"I'm as in the dark as you are," John replied, and Rodney saw the tension in Sheppard's shoulders and expression.
"General, what's going on?" John asked once they were seated around the conference table.
Landry sat at the head of the table with his hands clasped in front of him. "I've had an update from the IOA regarding Alex Vance."
Rodney stared from Landry to John in stunned surprise.
Vance. In the months since their last trip to Earth, Rodney had almost managed to forget about Vance and Bowers kidnapping him and threatening to kill him. There was a sudden ringing in his ears, and Rodney felt himself pushed into the nearest chair with Sheppard's hand on his shoulder.
"How did they find him?" John asked. "Elizabeth told me the IOA thought the chances of tracking him down were slim at best."
"Vance got careless, and we got lucky," Landry replied. "We were able to trace the sale of some bonds back to him a few days ago."
"Where is he?" John asked.
"Thailand," Landry replied. "An IOA Ops team is tracking him, and they should have him in custody in the next few hours. A day at the most."
Rodney felt the grip on his shoulder tighten before John let go and sat in the chair next to him. "About time."
Landry nodded. "Agreed." He glanced from Rodney to John and leant back in his chair. "As for the reason you are here, Doctor McKay, Walter has made your hotel reservations and your flight leaves in three days. Since you have the extra time, there are several current projects related to our fight against the Ori that could use your expertise."
Rodney leant forward in his chair. "What sort -" He started to ask, but Sheppard held up a hand.
"About that," John said. "Since the science conference doesn't start until the end of the week, we wanted to make a side trip."
Landry studied John for a moment. "Let me guess, Niagara Falls," he said.
"Did you tell everyone about this trip?" Rodney asked with a glare at John.
John ignored him and pressed on. "Yes, sir. We can fly into Niagara, spend a couple of days, then drive to Rochester for the symposium."
Landry studied John for a moment, then nodded. "All right, Colonel, I think that can be arranged. I'll have Walter take care of reserving the rental car as well as changing your flight and hotel information."
"Oh, umm, thank you, sir," John said in surprise and stood as Landry left the room.
John was still glaring at the door Landry had left through when Rodney asked, "Do you think they'll really catch Vance?"
"What?" John asked, and Rodney frowned.
"What's the matter with you? We wanted to go to Niagara, and we're going. I thought you'd be happy."
John shook his head and picked up his backpack. "It's nothing," he replied with a glance at Landry's closed office door as they headed for the nearest elevator.
Rodney stared at John in disbelief. It was obvious something had happened in the meeting that he had missed. It was also pretty clear that John wasn't going to talk about it.
"I asked if you think the IOA will catch Vance," Rodney repeated as he followed John down the hall.
"Ops teams are very good at their jobs," John replied and pushed the call button for the elevator. "They'll get him."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
Carson adjusted the heavy pack on his back, glanced around the medical lab for anything he may have forgotten, and picked up the two hard plastic cases at his feet. "Sharon, love," he said as he walked back through the infirmary, "I'm off."
Sharon looked up from her computer. "Did you leave any equipment in the lab?" she asked with a teasing smile.
"Oh, I left you a few scraps," Carson replied as he stopped at the end of her desk. "On the off chance we find any sort of medical lab with organic material still intact, I want to be able to collect samples and start some basic analysis. If Rodney is right, the discovery of this complex could answer many of the questions we have about Wraith physiology. I don't want to risk not having the right tools."
Sharon gave him a fleeting glance, then looked back down at her computer.
"What's wrong?" Carson asked, noting her concerned expression as he set down the two cases.
Sharon shook her head. "I'm not …" She paused. "Are you sure we should be continuing with the retrovirus research? After everything that happened to Colonel Sheppard …" She glanced up at him as she left the sentence hanging.
Carson winced at the reminder of what had happened with his first attempt at creating a working retrovirus to suppress the iratus bug side of the Wraith. He had gone back through all of his experiments, rechecked all of his data, and had made progress on a new version. Science made advances even in failure after all.
"I know what went wrong the first time," Carson said, "but there is still a long way to go before I have this new version perfected. It could take me a year or more to find a retrovirus that works reliably. From what Radek told me, the information from this complex could cut that down to a few months. We could save millions of people from additional cullings once the Wraith are no longer a threat."
Sharon nodded, but Carson could tell she wasn't wholly convinced.
He waited a moment then said, "I shouldn't be gone for more than a few days. Make sure David and Jason finish the supply inventory. I'll need to send Elizabeth the list of items we need Daedalus to bring out on its next run when I get back."
"It will be ready," Sharon promised.
Carson picked up the cases and took a few steps toward the door. "The retrovirus will work," he said with a glance back at Sharon. "You'll see."
He entered the gateroom a minute later and walked over to Teyla and Ronon standing near the stargate. Sergeant Thompson and his team gathered by the steps leading up to the control room, checking their equipment and speaking in low tones.
"Doc," Ronon greeted.
Carson nodded and smiled as he set down the cases. "Ronon, Teyla."
Teyla gave him a tight-lipped smile, and Carson exchanged a puzzled glance with Dex. While outwardly she appeared fine, Carson saw the underlying tension in Teyla's expression. She seemed almost distracted as she looked around the gateroom and then down the hallway.
"Who are we waiting for?" Carson asked, tugging on one of the straps for the backpack.
"The science team," Ronon replied.
At the same time, Carson heard a jumble of voices coming from the corridor. A few seconds later, Zelenka, followed by Tsao, Chaudhri, and DeCampo, hurried into the gateroom.
"Apologies for our tardiness," Radek said. "There was some debate as to what equipment to bring with us for the initial survey." He set down the portable generator in his hand, and Carson noticed Tsao carried another. All four of them had heavy-looking packs on their backs.
"There is no need to apologise, Doctor Beckett," Teyla replied. She glanced at Ronon, then over at Thompson, who nodded to her, and Teyla tapped her earpiece. "Doctor Weir, we are ready to depart."
Carson looked up as Elizabeth came out of her office and stood at the balcony overlooking the gateroom. "Chuck, dial the 'gate," she said.
"Yes, ma'am," Chuck replied.
"Teyla, your team needs to check in daily," Elizabeth said as she gripped the railing in front of her. "Once you've completed a thorough search of the building and Doctor Zelenka has the power stabilised, we can decide how to expand the exploration of the facility."
"Understood," Teyla replied as the wormhole whooshed into existence.
"Good luck," Elizabeth said with a glance at each of them.
Teyla nodded to Thompson, who stepped forward with his team and stepped through the event horizon. Zelenka and his team followed. Carson bent to pick up the medical cases, but Ronon waved him off.
"I've got them," Ronon said and picked up the cases.
"Thank you," Carson replied. He took a deep breath and stepped through the 'gate. Even after more than a year of 'gate travel, the idea of having his molecules turned into energy and shot through space still gave him the willies.
He stepped into a sunlit field a moment later and sighed in relief. "Oh," he said as Teyla and Ronon followed him and the 'gate shut down behind them.
"Is there a problem, Doc?" Thompson asked, giving the meadow in front of them a wary glance.
"No, no problem," Carson replied and studied the field. "This just looks rather familiar."
"Yeah, we got that too," Ronon said as he walked past, still carrying the plastic cases.
"The similarity is remarkable," Teyla added. "Colonel Sheppard was not comfortable when we first arrived."
"I can imagine this would have been a bit of a shock," Carson agreed as he looked around at the tall grass.
"I do not understand," Radek said as he looked around. "It is merely a field."
"The meadow where we found Colonel Sheppard inside the Ancient sanctuary looked incredibly similar to this one," Carson explained. "The same tall grass. It even smells the same."
"Oh, I see," Radek replied and looked around the area again.
"The similar scent is due to the flowers," Teyla said as she held up a stalk dotted with a row of pink flowers. "The petals have been used in teas by my people for many generations."
Carson caught her wistful expression as she sniffed the flowers in her hand and frowned.
Teyla dropped the flowers and jerked her chin toward the forest in front of them. "The complex is in that direction." She turned to Dex and added, "Ronon."
Ronon nodded. He handed off the medical cases to Thompson and took the lead.
"Freddo," Thompson said, and Sergeant Garcia followed Ronon. "Daley, you and Masters have our six."
"Yes, Sergeant," Daley said, and stepped to one side as Radek and the science team followed Ronon and Garcia.
Carson fell into step next to Teyla as he looked out on the sunny field. "It's still a strange thing to get used to," he said with a casual glance at Teyla. He saw her quirk an eyebrow at him, and added, "Going from one season to another in the time it takes to step through the stargate." He looked out on the flower-dotted field buzzing with insects and the fruit ripening on the nearby bushes. "It's late-fall back in Atlantis, but here it feels like early summer."
A distracted "Hmm," was Teyla's only reply.
Carson studied her as they walked and weighed his options. He could offer to try and help, or he could let the matter drop. He watched her for a few more steps and made his decision.
"Teyla?" he asked with a glance at Radek in front of him. "Is everything all right?" he asked in a low voice.
She glanced at him, and when he saw the denial on her lips, he shook his head. "You can talk to me, you know. I'm always here to listen."
"It may be nothing," Teyla replied with a hesitant smile.
"Did something else happen to Colonel Sheppard when he was here?" Carson asked.
"No, nothing like that," Teyla replied. She stared out at the surrounding trees for a few moments, then took a deep breath. "There was a message for me from Halling after we were here last. I thought it was merely him letting me know the harvest had started."
"I take it that's not the case?"
Teyla shook her head. "Charin is ill again," she replied with a sad smile.
"I see," Carson said. "The same as the last time?"
"Halling thinks so. Olette is doing what she can to help, but each time she is ill …" Teyla ducked her head. "It takes her longer to recover after each of these bouts. I am afraid they are becoming too much for her."
Carson nodded. "I'd be happy to go to the mainland once we get back. Check how she is doing and see if there is anything else we can do to help her."
Teyla smiled. "Thank you, Doctor Beckett."
"Certainly, my dear," Carson replied.
A weight seemed to lift from Teyla's shoulders as she took another deep breath, released it, and nodded in his direction.
They walked into the clearing in front of the first domed structure twenty minutes later, and Carson nearly ran into Zelenka when he suddenly stopped walking.
"Oh, my," Radek muttered as he stared at the buildings in front of them. "I would never expect the Wraith to build something -"
"So big?" Doctor Tsao asked.
"So beautiful," Radek replied. He took a few steps toward the first building and stared up at the metal supports arching down from the top of the dome several stories above them to the ground.
Carson looked at the domed buildings again and could see Radek's point. The shape of the buildings was the exact opposite of the Ancient architecture of Atlantis. Where the city was angular with its tall spires of metal and glass, the Wraith buildings evoked the same organic structural design that Carson remembered seeing with the Wraith darts. The ropes and strands of material intertwined along the supports created a design that looked almost like vines braiding their way up the structure.
"If you say so," Ronon said with a grunt. "Door's over here."
Carson followed Radek's team through the dimly lit, twisting, turning hallways with a grimace of distaste. He'd heard reports from Colonel Sheppard's team about what the inside of a Wraith ship looked like, and now he could appreciate their feelings of revulsion after spending time inside one. While the outside of the building might have a certain aesthetic appeal, he couldn't say the same for the interior.
They walked into what looked like a control room a few minutes later, and Zelenka walked over to the central console. "Rodney said the power for this building was almost depleted," he said to Tsao as he glanced around at the faint lights glowing from the walls. "I believe he was correct. The first thing we will need to do is figure out a way to connect the naquadah generators to the Wraith systems."
Doctor Chaudhri stood in front of the large console and studied the controls. "This appears to be a central data nexus for the building," he said with a glance at Teyla.
Teyla nodded. "Doctor McKay was able to find information on several different subjects. He was not able to translate much, however."
Chaudhri pressed a few of the buttons on the console and looked up at the screen embedded in the wall. "Wraith syntax is not that different from Ancient," he said as he studied the symbols on the screen. "I should be able to decipher anything we bring back with us." He glanced at Carson and added. "This would seem to be information on Wraith biology, for example."
"Is it now?" Carson replied and stepped closer to the screen. "Oh, that is interesting," he muttered as he studied the images on the screen.
Chaudhri nodded. "If I am reading this right, there might be a medical lab somewhere in this building with more detailed information." He pressed another control, and the symbols on the screen changed. "I think Doctor McKay was correct. This could be a wealth of information on the Wraith and their technology, assuming we can find a way to download it."
"One thing at a time," Radek replied. He had a tablet computer in one hand, and he and Tsao followed a ropey tendril of material from the back of the console to the nearby wall. "First, we need to get the power situation fixed. Then we can worry about the data files." He pointed to a section of the wall, and Tsao nodded.
Carson watched Radek and Tsao divide their time between the computer and the examination of the wall for a few minutes, then turned to Teyla. "I'd like to try and find this medical lab. Anything we can learn about the Wraith themselves would be important."
Teyla nodded. "Ronon can show you the areas we've already searched," she said. "Though I should mention, the rooms did not contain much."
"Duly noted," Carson replied and glanced at Ronon.
"Come on," Ronon said.
"Sergeant, would you accompany them, please?" Teyla asked Thompson. "Just in case there are unforeseen problems," she added to Ronon when he started to object.
"Sure thing," Thompson replied. "Garcia, keep an eye on things here. We'll be back."
Garcia nodded, and Carson followed Ronon out of the control room and back into the labyrinthine hallways. Over the next hour or so, they investigated the rooms Sheppard's team had found on their first trip. After the first few rooms, Carson had to agree with Teyla's assessment; the rooms didn't contain much other than empty tables and a few bits of equipment. They were still searching the rooms when the dim light glowing from the walls intensified.
"Looks like Radek was able to fix the power," Carson said and clicked off his flashlight. He looked at the walls and grimaced. "Not sure if it was really an improvement."
If anything, the walls looked even more alien in the better light. Along with the sinewy tendrils and sheets of some sort of skin-like membrane, Carson spotted a few large, pod-like growths, for lack of a better term, where one hallway met another. He stared at the growths for a moment, then shook his head.
Maybe it was the Wraith equivalent of decoration, he decided.
After they finished with the rooms leading back to the main doors, Carson stood at the junction of two corridors and unhooked his canteen. He spotted another of the weird growths and reached out to touch it when Thompson stopped next to him and peered down each of the corridors.
"Any preference on which way we go next?" he asked as Carson took a few swallows of water.
Carson glanced at Derek and then at Ronon standing behind him.
Ronon looked back at him and shrugged.
Carson pressed his lips together as he weighed the best way to find the medical lab. "So far, we've been staying close to the outer perimeter of the building," he said as he re-hooked his canteen on his belt. "Maybe we should try some of the rooms farther inside." He glanced from Ronon to Thompson with a raised eyebrow.
"Worth a shot," Thompson agreed.
Ronon peered down one hallway and then the other. "Fine," he said and took a step toward the left-hand corridor. "Stay behind me," he added to Carson, then glanced at Thompson.
Thompson nodded and adjusted his grip on his P-90. "I've got our six."
Ronon bent down, studied the floor for a moment, and then led the way down the new hallway.
"What were you looking for?" Carson asked as they walked.
"Footprints," Ronon said. "Something about this place …" He glanced at the nearest wall with a scowl. "Something feels off."
"How do you mean?"
"Why was it abandoned?" Ronon asked. "If it was so important, why isn't it still used? Why is there so little evidence of what the Wraith were doing here? Most of the rooms have been empty." He held up a hand as they came to another opening in the wall. "Except for these," he growled.
Carson followed him into the room and sighed when he saw the bones encased in the alcoves lining the walls. He stepped closer to one of the skeletons and ducked his head. He wasn't completely oblivious. He knew there were concerns about the retrovirus he was developing. He had them as well. But if he could get it to work, he could save so many lives, human and Wraith. The people in the Pegasus galaxy would be able to grow and learn and innovate. The Wraith would no longer face possible extinction as their numbers outpaced their food supply. When the retrovirus was perfected, everyone in the galaxy would benefit.
"I think I found another one of those control rooms," Derek said from the doorway a few moments later.
"Show me," Ronon ordered.
"Down here." Thompson led the way down the corridor, around a corner, and into another room.
Carson walked into the room and glanced around. The space was smaller than the room where they had left Teyla and the science team. There was another central console, but none of the small alcoves, and the wall in front of the console didn't appear to be a screen.
Carson wandered over to the console and studied the bulbous controls. The various buttons and strange dial mechanism appeared to be the same as the console in the other control room, if smaller. He reached out a hand, pushing one of the buttons at random.
The console hummed, and Carson stepped back in surprise as a Wraith commander appeared in front of the console. The Wraith was tall, easily as tall as Ronon, and looked taller, thanks to the long black coat it wore. Carson had just enough time to notice the stylised starburst-shaped tattoo over the Wraith's left eye before he was yanked away from the console as Ronon stepped in front of him.
"Get back!" Ronon ordered and aimed his particle weapon at the Wraith.
He fired, but the energy blast passed through the Wraith and was absorbed by the wall. The Wraith, unfazed by the blast, started speaking. Or at least its mouth was moving. For some reason, there wasn't any sound.
"It's a hologram," Carson murmured and tried to step around Ronon.
Ronon growled as he lowered the particle weapon but dropped the arm that blocked Carson from getting close to the Wraith.
The Wraith said a few words and bowed its head in their direction. Carson thought the bow was more mocking than as a show of respect and he wondered if the Wraith was attempting to smile as it bared its teeth. It spread its arms as it looked around the room and continued to speak.
"Any idea what it's saying?" Thompson asked.
"Doesn't matter," Ronon replied as he holstered his weapon and scowled at the Wraith.
The Wraith dropped its arms, bared its teeth again, and disappeared. A few seconds later, the lights went out.
"Move!" Ronon ordered and pushed Carson toward the exit. They were still several steps away from the opening when an unseen door slid closed, trapping the three of them inside the control room.