Disclaimer - I do not own Stargate Atlantis, any of the characters or the events depicted in this story. I only own my character Rayne, her background and family, also anything not privy to the show.
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Enjoy!
Sheppard guides the Puddle Jumper through another space gate above yet another planet that Weir wanted them to check out. Rayne was lying on the bench in the rear relaxing as she listened to Rodney chastise her friend about how much he ate before a mission; which was comical coming from the man who was perpetually hungry.
"I'm just saying, as a team veteran, to the new guy—heavy lunch before mission departure, bad idea. I mean, even with the inertial dampeners, this whole flying thing is best done on an empty stomach."
"Yeah, well, I've got a pretty strong stomach." Ronon smirks as he ties his mass of dreadlocks back with a leather cord.
"Hey, I can eat frozen dinners without thawing them, and sometimes it even affects me."
"McKay, are you reading anything?" Sheppard grates out between clenched teeth, thoroughly annoyed with Rodney already.
Rodney turns around to a console behind his seat. "Oh. Nothing. Life signs from the planet are negative."
"Then it is a shame. From what we read in the Atlantis database, the Dorandans were a wonderful race of people." Teyla says with a sigh.
"Well, the database is over ten thousand years old. You can bet things have changed around here." McKay replies.
Ronon stands up out of his chair seeing something, "Sheppard." His tone of voice draws Rayne to her feet beside him.
John looks, and sees that they are flying towards a debris field above the planet. The debris is made up of broken parts of ships. "Okay. That's not something you see every day."
"There was a great battle here." Teyla concludes as they continue to fly over larger pieces of debris. "That is a hive ship."
"That was a hive ship." Ronon says as he looks out at the pieces of the ship floating in space.
"Something put a lot of holes in it all right. We should check it out."
McKay doesn't like Sheppard's idea, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What if whatever put holes in it wants to put holes in us?"
"Like you said, a lot's changed in ten thousand years."
John moves the Jumper closer, descending through the debris to the planet. As it breaks through the clouds, the Jumper skims over a ruined city. Thunder and lightning strike it.
"That would explain the lack of life signs." McKay states staring at the destruction around them.
"This is what usually happens when you fight back." Ronon comments.
"These folks took out a fleet of Wraith ships. I'd say they did a pretty good job fighting back." Sheppard theories.
Suddenly McKay turns form his computer, "Hold on. I'm picking up faint energy readings, coming from (pointing) there. Well, that explains how they would be able to put up such a good fight."
"How?"
"Because… they were Ancients." McKay surmises as John moves the Jumper towards the one undamaged building that remains. A large weapon of some sort is on the roof.
Sheppard lands the Jumper on top of the building. They leave the Jumper and descend a ladder into the dark facility, their flashlight beams proceeding them as they search their surroundings.
"Definitely Ancient design. Their latest stuff, too." He blows onto the console sending up a cloud of dust thick enough to hinder his vision for a moment. "Their latest being ten thousand years old."
"It looks a lot like the labs we've found on Atlantis." Sheppard notices.
"So this was one of their outposts?" Ronon wonders as he searches the outer edges of the room.
"Yet the ancestors made no mention of their presence here in their database. Why?" Teyla hypothesizes.
"Well, let's find out. Can you power it up?"
"Working on it." McKay mumbles as he works on an Ancient tablet while the others continue searching around.
"I've got two bodies here." John announces as he shines his flashlight on the skeletal human-looking corpses.
"Two more over here, John." Rayne echoes from a room to the right of him.
"I've got three more over here." Ronon shouts from a long tunnel that ended in an airlock door. "Whatever happened here, no one came back to claim the dead."
John squats down by the bodies, "Can't tell if they were fed on by the Wraith."
"Yeah, something killed them."
"Something killed everyone on this world." Teyla comments.
"Then why is this outpost, if that's what it is, still intact? It doesn't make sense. What do you think, Rodney?"
The power comes on followed by the lights and Rodney whoops in joy. "Hah. Sorry, I uh, wasn't listening, but it just struck me that this is an Ancient outpost. Why would the Wraith leave it intact?"
The others exchange glances before John speaks, "That's a good question."
Rodney not realizing they were mocking him focuses on the tablet in his hands. "Huh. All right. So…"
Sheppard and his team then return to Atlantis where they fill Dr. Weir in on their discovery. "So it's a military research facility?" She questions.
"From what we can tell, it's a ground-based version of the satellite weapon we used to destroy that hive ship." Sheppard tells her.
"With one major exception—firepower. I mean, if that single outpost is responsible for destroying an entire Wraith fleet—" McKay adds jovially.
"And you're sure it was this weapon than destroyed all those Wraith ships?"
John nods, "It had to be. There's nothing on the planet that suggests the Dorandans had anything capable of inflicting anywhere near that much damage."
"If we could learn of such technology, we could defend other worlds from being culled." Teyla says.
"It didn't save the Dorandans." Ronon mentions feeling the need to remind them that everyone on that planet was dead.
"Yeah, but at the end of the day, the outpost was still standing, and that means, uh… Well, I'm not sure what that means, but it means something definitely worth finding out." Rodney argues, not willing to let go of the scientific possibilities.
"Colonel?" Weir asks wanting to know what he thought.
"He's right. It's definitely worth sending a research team back."
"Good! Well, give me Optican and Collins, and Zelenka, if he's over the stomach flu. We'll try to access the computer's logbooks, see if we can decipher them—"
"Okay. Okay. Easy sell. Go." Weir concedes giving them the greenlight.
"Oh. Good." McKay says before he rushes out. The others exchange looks at his enthusiasm.
Since they didn't need the entire team tied up in the research mission, Teyla, Rayne and Ronon were excused from partaking in the mission back. Ronon had ideas of using this time to go out and find a few more things for Rayne, he was crafting something else for her; but now that they were not needed for the mission he felt it would be wrong to disappear and leave her to the mercy of the Atlanteans.
But it seemed as though luck was on his side as he saw her donning her gear and walking towards the gate room. "Rayne!" He hollered causing her to stop as he jogged up to her in the hallway. "Where you going?"
"Oh, Colonel Sheppard thought it would be good for me to tag along, give me some more field time. I guess he's being pressured about adding outsiders to his team by Stargate Command and he wants good things to report back. Did you have plans for us?"
Ronon shook his head trying not to seem too exuberant about being alone that it offended her. "No, I didn't have any plans for us, I'm just hanging around here today. But we can always do something when you get back. How does a dinner date sound?"
Rayne smiled brightly, her eyes emitting their soft glow, "I'd like that. It's a date." She rose up onto her tip-toes and kissed his cheek gently. "See you tonight, Ro."
"Be safe." He called to her as she turned and continued walking down the hall. After assuring that she was out of sight he turned and ran down the opposite hallway towards Teyla's room. He knew that she was going off-world and was hoping that she would be alright with him tagging along. He stood outside of her room trying to act casual as he waited for her to come out, when she did he promptly ran up to her.
"Teyla. Um… I heard you were heading off-world on a personal mission."
"To Belkan, yes."
"Sounds interesting."
She smiles at him, and he returns the smile, she can see the eagerness in his eyes to go along. "The Belkans possess a particular disease-resistant strain of flax seed, which would double the yield of our crops on the mainland. In exchange, I intend to offer Athosian manpower to aid in their harvest. Still interested?"
"Uh, this place… has everything I could want, don't get me wrong, but, uh—"
"Sometimes you feel the need to go somewhere else."
"Anywhere else."
"I know the feeling."
"Plus I was hoping to find some things for Rayne and since she's going to be off-world with Sheppard, it's the perfect time. So?"
Teyla smiles, "Bring only weapons you can conceal."
"I'll keep it to a bare minimum." He grins before dashing off to his room to collect his things.
Back inside of the Ancient facility on Doranda at least have a dozen scientists are at work in the lab. Sheppard arrives and goes to look through an observation window into a large chamber, lit from above. He turns hearing Zelenka and McKay arguing once again, as they did so very often when they worked together.
"I'm telling you, at least point-o-nine percent."
"Oh, please. Please, move the decimal place. I mean, it's impossible, for God's sake." McKay grumbles.
"Have we figured out what this is?" Sheppard asks interrupting the two scientists.
"No." Rodney snaps.
"I wouldn't say no. No, we have a theory."
"But we don't know yet."
"No, but based on the shielding around the chamber, what else could it be?"
"Have you tried turning it on?" John offers.
"That's what we're working on. The problem is that there's no direct link between it and the main power control systems, which, among other things led us to theorize it's an ancillary power supply for the weapon systems."
Sheppard grins at McKay's explanation, "Cool."
Rodney points to John's face while looking at Radek. "See that? See? See the way he lights up at the mention of that? It's like Dr. Vogel at the mention of pastry."
"They found out a way to soup up their space guns?" John questions still grinning wide.
"Yes, but it's much more than that." Zelenka comments.
"The sticking point is that there's no tie between the power generator and the primary capacitor."
"Yeah, meaning they would have to channel the power directly into the weapon."
Rodney smiles smugly at John, "Which, I'm sure, means nothing to you."
"It means they could fire multiple bursts without having to store up more power for the next firing sequence." Sheppard says confidently.
McKay is reluctantly impressed, "Yes. Very good."
"Which leads me back to "cool."
"Yes, but it only makes sense if we're right." Zelenka says holding up the small black computer in his hand.
"About what?"
"Tell him."
"Not yet." McKay protests.
"Come on, McKay. You read the equations. What else could it be? An Ancient typo?"
"Well, we know they're not perfect, because they're all dead. Look, I just… I don't want you to get all excited over nothing."
"Well, maybe you're right." John offers, he is over curious now at what McKay is hiding.
"All right, I'll give you a hint. It seems the Ancients were experimenting with high-energy physics on a level that we've never seen before."
Sheppard is visibly underwhelmed, "Wow."
"Yes, "wow." I just… I want to be sure."
"I'll do my best to wait." John says humoring the two men before he leaves to go find Rayne, they hadn't really spoken since their last mission.
Rayne was standing on the roof leaning against the side of the Jumper, staring up at the alien sky above when she heard someone walking up behind her. She turned putting her back against the craft as John walked up, shoving his hands in his pocket and leaning back against the ship beside her.
"I'm sorry, Rayne." He said followed by a deep sigh, his lips curving into a frown as he turned his head to look at her. But anything he was planning on saying was forgotten as he met her aqua gaze; her eyes captivated him, pulling him into their depths like a black hole as his mind began conjuring up images that would ultimately end up having his spine ripped out of his mouth if Ronon ever discovered them.
"John?" Rayne called his name softly as she noticed the faraway look in his eyes, as though he was no longer on this planet. "John?" Again she called to him, but still there was no response, no indication that he heard her.
"Colonel Sheppard?" She employed a different tactic this time hoping to elicit a different response as she gently laid her hand on his arm.
"Huh?" He said rousing himself from his torrid dreams.
She wasn't sure if it was hearing his formal title or her touch that brought him back to reality, but whichever it was she was grateful. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." John said shaking his head as if trying to clear out the fog that had settled in his mind; that and the erotic images of Rayne that played like a film-reel in the front of his mind.
"Rayne, I'm sorry for the way I have been treating you. It was my idea to use your voice as a weapon to protect us, and I have since kept you on the sidelines every time you could have helped."
"Trust has to be earned, John. I know that." She said with a slight shrug of her shoulders.
John quickly shook his head, he had to dispel any notions that she had about him doubting her. "No. I do trust you, Rayne. The truth is that I was doubting myself. I know how taking lives in the arena made you feel, and I was afraid that I was putting you in the same position as the Wraith by asking you to use it for us. How could I ask you to trust me and put your life in my hands, if I was using you just as they did?"
"John, never compare yourself to the Wraith. You gave me a choice that they never did. You are nothing like them, you are a good kind man." Rayne said as she turned towards him, laying her hands on his arms that were crossed over his chest. "I trust you with my life John Sheppard. I hope one day you will trust me with yours."
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he once more looked into her aqua orbs, again visions of her filling his mind. He desperately wanted to pull her into his arms and press his lips to hers; but he held himself at bay as he remembered that his friend Ronon had already fallen for the brunette beauty. "I already do."
She smiled brightly before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek, and John had to clench his arms against his body to keep from reaching out and grabbing her. Gently backing up a step so as not to offend her he cleared his throat, "Um, we should get back inside. Don't need Rodney blowing anything up."
She nodded leading the way back towards the staircase, behind her John let out a deep breath as he watched her hips sway and her perfect ass in his mind encased in her tight black pants; reaching down he subtly tried to adjust himself through his pants. God he needed a cold shower.
Inside of a conference room on Belkan, Teyla and Ronon negotiate with the locals. "The manpower that you are demanding is outrageous. You would turn my people into nothing more than indentured slaves to serve your farms." Teyla snaps after hearing what they wanted from her and her people.
"It would seem that you have nothing else of value to trade but your people."
A man enters with a tray of drinks and Teyla calls to him, "Mattas… You know full well my offer is fair."
"I'm sorry, Teyla. If you had something of more value to offer… Technology, weapons…"
"You've heard my terms."
"Hmm. Then our business is done here."
Ronon pulls a knife out of his sleeve and angrily stabs the point down into the wooden table. "She said her offer is fair."
They stand and face each other across the table, Ronon clearly the taller of the two. "I say it isn't."
"Well, I say it is."
Ronon and Teyla exit the building into the primitive village. They are carrying bags of seeds. Teyla drops hers and turns to face Ronon.
"What?" Ronon says seeing the anger on her face.
"I had the situation under control."
"It didn't look like it."
"So you came to my rescue? You have no idea what is at stake during these negotiations. My people depend on me."
"They were taking advantage of you."
"No, they were not, but that is what I wanted them to think. A negotiation is a delicate process. The words spoken are often meaningless."
Mattas sees them from a nearby staircase and calls out, "Teyla!" He then goes inside to come around to meet them.
"Do you want me to—" Ronon asks cautiously.
"No. Go. Gather our things. I will meet you at the gate."
He leaves with their things as Mattas runs up to Teyla, "It was a mistake to force Hendon's hand. You'll only pay for it next time."
"I know."
"Your friend is not Athosian?"
"No. Ronon is the only survivor of a world known as Sateda. He saved the life of a friend of mine. In return, we offered him sanctuary."
"If Sateda is his home-world, then he is not the only survivor. There is a man in this village who also claims to be from there." Mattas explains and Teyla's face conveys her shock.
Dr. Weir walks into the control room responding to the intercom page she received, "What have we got, Sergeant?"
"It's Colonel Sheppard, Ma'am."
"This is Weir. Go ahead, Colonel."
The Puddle Jumper flies back through the debris field toward the orbital Stargate. "We're on our way back. Rodney wants to fill you in."
"I take it you've found something interesting."
"Interesting? How about the greatest discovery of all time?"
"He's pretty excited."
"So I hear. He couldn't even wait until he got back."
"I wanted to send an encoded data-burst directly from the outpost to the secure network in my lab while the gate was active. Now."
The technician at the console readies his computer, "Receiving transmission. Transferring data." He looks round at the screen behind him as data scrolls across it.
"Care to fill me in so I can be excited too?"
"It's a weapon—" John starts to say but Rodney interrupts him.
"It is much, much more than a weapon. We think we've stumbled across the Ancients' last great discovery. It was too late to win the war for them, but if I can finish the work they started—"
"What is it?"
"It is the ultimate power source. Something that would make zero-point modules seem like alkaline batteries in comparison."
Once they had returned to Atlantis the group joined Elizabeth and the newly arrived Colonel Caldwell inside of her office. Rayne, once again being drug around to participate in every aspect of team life grumbled as she sat on the couch beside John.
"Why do I have to be here?"
Sheppard leaned over like he was stretching and whispered, his lips tickling her ear. "If I have to be stuck in this room with the boss, the egghead and that dick. You have to suffer with me."
Rayne let out a snort of laughter that she tried to mask with a cough as she covered her mouth, causing Caldwell to turn a judgmental eye on her.
"Why don't we continue this when all the non-essential personnel are not in the room?"
Her laughter immediately ceased as her anger spiked, her eyes flashing which she noticed made Caldwell flinch and she internally smiled; so there was a crack in his façade.
John calmly laid a hand on her shoulder bringing her attention back to him and subduing her anger. "Rayne is a part of our team and today is my right hand, she goes where I go." He relaxed back onto the couch when he heard Caldwell mumble something under his breath that sounded like, bitch. In a split second he was on his feet, staring Caldwell in the eyes, "Do you have a problem with my team… Sir?"
Caldwell shook his head quickly, he may have been a higher rank than the Lieutenant Colonel, but if there was one person on Atlantis that you did not want to piss off, it was John Sheppard; and insulting Rayne seemed to be a quick way to anger him.
"Continue please, Rodney." Elizabeth said as she sat down at her desk.
"It was called Project Arcturus, and from what we can tell, its ultimate goal was to render Zed PMs obsolete."
"How?" Weir questions.
He uses the large displays to illustrate, "A zero-point module is an artificially created region of subspace-time. It's kind of like a miniature universe in a bottle."
"It extracts vacuum energy from this artificial region of subspace-time until it reaches maximum entropy." Zelenka says as he catches up and enters the room.
"So what's different about this thing?" Caldwell asks.
"Project Arcturus was attempting to extract vacuum energy from our own space-time, making it potentially as powerful as the scope of the universe itself."
"This strikes me as something the Ancients would've tried first, even before ZPMs."
"And they may have, but extracting zero-point energy from our own universe is… well, it's definitely trickier." McKay says with a grin.
"Explain "trickier." Elizabeth says as she sits up straighter in her chair.
"Well, because we actually have to live in our own universe, it presents a whole range of problems." Zelenka tells them.
"Well, obviously it's not that easy, or Atlantis wouldn't still rely on ZPMs." Caldwell states.
"Well, you're right. The Ancients couldn't make it work." John says flatly.
"I said I wanted to do all the talking."
"Come on, Rodney. Arcturus was a total failure."
"Failure, yes. Total, no. Look, the Ancients were losing the war against the Wraith when work on Arcturus began. If they could have made it work it could have turned the tide of war. I mean, we're talking about their own Manhattan Project."
"The outpost was ordered by the Ancients in Atlantis to defend the Dorandan people using their weapons powered by this new power source."
"Yeah, yes, but despite their strong reservations that it was not ready to be tested under battle conditions." Zelenka added in.
"Well, the point is, the Wraith won."
"Yeah, but the Dorandans still inflicted massive damage on the attacking Wraith fleet." McKay said adding his two cents.
"I'm not saying they didn't put up a hell of a fight."
"The logs indicate there was a major malfunction." Zelenka informs them, both he and Sheppard trying to get them to understand how dangerous this was, but Rodney was having none of it.
"Well yes, the Ancients in the bunker were forced to shut everything down, including the weapon."
"The Wraith sent more ships, the Dorandans got wiped out." John mentions making McKay roll his eyes.
"So if the malfunction hadn't occurred, the Ancients would've saved the planet?" Caldwell theorizes.
"Definitely."
"Possibly. Don't sugarcoat this Rodney." Sheppard tells him waving a finger in his direction.
"The Ancient scientists running Arcturus were rushed into testing before they had perfected a means of effectively controlling the power output. I believe if they'd had more time, history would've played out differently on that planet. Possibly in this galaxy."
Caldwell sighs, "I won't deny that this is something that we'd dearly love to get our hands on, but the Ancients were a pretty bright bunch."
"And desperate and losing a war they'd already been fighting for a hundred years. More importantly, they were—they were, like…" He holds his finger and thumb a few millimeters apart. "…this close."
"And you believe you can finish their work?" Weir questions.
"I do." Rodney states confidently.
Zelenka nods in agreement, "We do."
John and Rayne look to one another before they nod and reply in tandem, pointing to the two scientists. "They do."
Work gets started immediately inside McKay's lab as he issues instructions to his staff. "All right, I need everyone's attention, please. What we've got here… I need this code divided into sections and each one double-checked…"
Minutes later he is arguing with Zelenka, "No, you're not listening to me!"
"It's not going to—" Zelenka snaps, but Rodney cuts him off saying, "I'm telling you this one right here is wrong."
After that he goes back to barking orders at his techs. "The whole point here is that these numbers here need to be corrected. Unless they're corrected—" On a computer screen, the message "Simulation Failed" flashes up. "There you go. Simulation failed." He shoves a sandwich into his mouth, sits down at the screen and starts to type.
They keep running simulations that all fail.
Back inside of the ancient facility on Doranda, Sheppard takes a heavy case from a scientist on the ladder.
"That's heavy. So, I need that over there. Thank you." McKay tells him pointing over to the corner.
In a tube-like passageway, Zelenka and another scientist work. McKay speaks to Zelenka over the radio. "I want you to pull the crystal. Pull it when I say go, all right?"
Zelenka pulls the crystal out before Rodney gives the word and the power shuts down, Rodney sighs as he shakes his head in annoyance.
Later, McKay is in the command access tube and Zelenka is in the Ancient lab. "I think we have it."
McKay puts the crystal in, and the command access tube lights up. In the lab, Zelenka smiles. "That's it!"
In Belkan Teyla and Ronon walk into the local village pub, she is seeking out the other Satedan man that Mattas told her about. She approaches the bartender who is busy cleaning glasses and asks, "We are looking for a man named Solen. Do you know him?"
"Upstairs."
"Thank you."
They walk up the stairs to where a group is gathered at a table, listening to a man telling a story.
"Was I afraid? Of course I was, but my people were counting on me. Now, I was alone, and I was low on ammo, but I managed to take out the three Wraith guards and gain access to the ship."
"Liar." Ronon snaps from behind the man.
The man angrily stands up and turns to face his accuser, "What did you say?" Ronon comes up the stairs into full view and Solen grins. "Ronon!?"
"There were two Wraith guarding that cruiser, and he wasn't alone." He grins at Solen, who laughs delightedly and the two of them embrace. When they pull back Ronon nods to his companion, "Uh, Teyla Emmagan, Solen Sincha. We served in the same regiment on Sateda."
"I am honored."
"You two make a nice match. Congratulations."
"We are friends, nothing more." Teyla assures him before she nudges Ronon. "His heart belongs to another."
"Oh really? Do tell." Solen encourages.
Ronon sighs, he pulls a small photo out of his jacket taken of Rayne courtesy of Sheppard, when they had been messing around with his Polaroid camera a few weeks ago. "Her name's Rayne. She's an Arcadian."
He hands the photo to Solen who takes it with a grin and lets out a wolf whistle. "A Siren? Wow, Ronon. Man you are only lucky son of a gun."
Ronon shakes his head as he takes the photo back, looking at his friend like he's a mirage. "For years, I believed I was the only survivor."
"So you don't know about the others?"
"What others?"
"Before the city fell, a few of us managed to make it to the shelters west of the capital. Over three hundred civilians found their way there, too. When we emerged, we realized there was nothing to salvage, so we left. All of us."
As he speaks, Ronon becomes quiet, as if stunned.
"To where?" Teyla asks.
"Some came here, some went to Manaria."
Ronon smiles in disbelief, "Three hundred."
"Drink, Ronon, and rejoice—you're not alone!" Solen bellows before the two men hug again. "Yeah!"
Back on Doranda, Rayne is standing beside Sheppard as McKay double and triple-checks his figures.
"Everything's been triple-checked. Power levels are holding steady in all computer simulations."
"Fire it up." Sheppard orders.
"All right. Attention, all personnel. Stand by for power-up on my mark. Three, two, one… Mark."
Radek activates the controls, an energy field forms around the power source in the chamber.
Inside the pub, Ronon and Solen are laughing and drinking, clearly intoxicated. "Oh, man. To see Kell's face when he sees you… Yeah, it's true."
"Kell's alive?" Ronon asks his face becoming serious.
"And his family. They settled on Belsa. Run this big trading operation over there."
This information seems to sober Ronon up immediately, "When were you going to tell me this?"
"Honestly? I was going to wait until you drank a little more."
Ronon smiles, "Then you've seen him?"
"Yeah, he comes around now and then to trade weapons with the Belkans. He's got his own private army now."
"Is this Kell a friend?" Teyla asks noticing the clear shift in Ronon's behavior.
"Oh, he's more like kin. He was Ronon's Task Master during his military training. There is no closer bond."
Ronon smiles but perhaps uneasily, "None."
"To reunions." Solen says as they clang their tankards together.
"To reunions." As Solen laughs, Ronon clinks his tankard against Teyla's, then drinks, his mind clearly somewhere else.
McKay and Zelenka are in the main lab as they keep a close eye on the computer screens. "Radek, talk to me."
"I'm picking up some minor power fluctuations. Chamber temperature's holding steady. There it goes again."
Sheppard and Rayne are watching the power source through the observation window. "Is everything okay?" John questions.
"Everything's fine. The containment bottle was designed to automatically compensate for any sudden changes in energy output."
"This never happened in the simulations." Zelenka mentions warily.
"Maybe we should abort." Sheppard offers.
"I said it's fine. Collins. See if you can boost more power to the field manually."
"You got it." Collins says before taking his leave.
McKay makes more entries at his console, Sheppard looking on with worry while Rayne stays close to the window watching. "Okay."
Collins heads for the Command Access Tube. Putting on a pair of safety specs, he takes a laptop, goes into the Access Tube and closes the door behind him. He goes over to a panel at the far end where the crystal controls are and opens it.
"Prepare for test firing, on my mark." McKay announces.
In the Access Tube, energy is glowing at the end of the corridor. As Collins touches a crystal inside the panel, the energy suddenly spikes and a power wave surges out into the room, engulfing him. He screams and falls to the floor writhing in agony. In the Control Room, alarms sound.
"Levels just spiked into the red!" Zelenka shouts as on his screen, the word "Overload" flashes.
"What?"
"Shut it down! Shut it all down!" Sheppard yells.
"I'm trying."
"The interface is not responding."
"All right, I've already switched to back-ups."
"The levels are going off the scale!"
"McKay!" Sheppard yells.
"I have given the command to shut down. Something's creating an overload."
"Then we should evacuate."
"Just give me a few seconds."
"We may not have that time."
The power sounds start to diminish, and Zelenka's displays show the energy flow returning to green levels. "Wait. Wait. Wait. It's stabilizing. The generator is offline."
"What the hell just happened?" John asks angrily.
"Obviously there was a surge of some kind… Look, Collin… Collins!" They rush to the command access tube door. "Collins!"
He runs for the Command Access Tube. Radek, Rayne and John follow. They open the door to the Tube and see Collins lying on the floor. Smoke is rising from his body, his hands are badly burned and the index and middle fingers of his right hand are fused together.
Once they had returned to Atlantis, Beckett took possession of Collins' body and performed a standard autopsy before filing his report. He then joined the others inside the briefing room as he announced his findings, handing out reports to each member. "Officially, my report will indicate Dr. Collins died due to radiation exposure, causing severe burns to well over ninety percent of his body."
"But it was more than that?" Weir questions concerned.
"Aye, much more. To be honest, I have no idea what sort of radiation it was. I've never seen or heard of cellular decay this massive, not when exposure only lasted mere seconds."
"Collins' next of kin have been notified." Sheppard says solemnly from his seat in between Caldwell and Rayne, the latter giving his hand a comforting squeeze.
Elizabeth nods, "Good. What went wrong?"
Zelenka stands up and uses a display to illustrate as he speaks. "We're still analyzing data from the test. All we know for certain was there was a massive power surge, which in turn caused the containment field to expand asymmetrically in the direction of the command access tube. As to why…"
"How about human error?" Caldwell snarks from his seat.
Rodney, lost in grief and thought until now, reacts to this. "Excuse me?"
"Well, according to your report, during the tests, Dr. Collins made an adjustment to the containment field. Isn't it possible that he triggered the surge himself?"
"Are you looking for a scapegoat, Colonel?" Weir accuses.
"Not at all, Doctor. I'm admittedly looking for a rationale that would allow Dr. McKay to continue his very important work. Is there something wrong with that?"
"No." Rodney states. "Collins knew the system just as well as any of us. He wouldn't have made that kind of mistake. Everything was going well, and everyone did their job."
"Then what?"
"I don't know. In terms of physics, it shouldn't have happened."
"We're still analyzing the data from the accident. It's going to take time—" Zelenka says before he is cut off by Rodney.
"What I do know is the device did what it was supposed to do."
"No, Rodney, it didn't." Rayne stated.
"Well, apart from the obvious containment issues—" He said arguing against her, but he was stopped by Sheppard backing her up. "It overloaded, and you couldn't stop it."
"But we won't know for sure until we go back down there and try again."
"Try again? Are you serious?" John asks with wide eyes.
"Yes."
John gives him an incredulous look, "A member of your team is in the morgue."
"And I am responsible for his death. Yes, I am painfully aware of that. I sent him in there, and I will have to live with that for the rest of my life." His voice breaks briefly as Sheppard nods slightly in understanding. "But we have a responsibility to understand what happened and learn from it."
"Rodney, we don't even know what went wrong." Zelenka prods not wanting to upset the man any further.
"Which is why we have to go back there." McKay snaps, his emotions firing on all cylinders.
"I know how important this is to you, Rodney, but we knew when we came to Atlantis that we might encounter certain technologies which, for the moment, are out of our reach." Weir calmly says.
"It's not, in this case."
"You have the data from your first attempt. You can run all the simulations you want."
"Come on, Elizabeth, you really think the military's going to let this go, huh? At the very least, we should be the first ones in there to spearhead the research—"
"That's what this is about? You want to beat them to it? I'm sorry. The answer's no." Elizabeth states before she leaves, followed by Beckett and Zelenka. McKay remains, clearly upset.
Teyla steadies Ronon as the two make their way into the room, the tall Satedan swaying on his feet. "I'm not tired. Why did we leave?"
She lets him fall onto the bed with a thud, picking up his legs and shoving them onto the bed as well. "I believe you've had enough."
"I believe I have." Ronon agrees with her.
"Goodnight." She starts to go when Ronon's voice stops her, "Teyla. There are three hundred of my people." He puts his hand to his face, clearly moved as Teyla closes the door behind her.
Ronon sighs as he pulls Rayne's picture out of his jacket and studies it closer than he had before. Seeing the waves crashing against the pier behind her as she sat on the edge, the wind blowing her long dark hair as the sun cast a shine on her silky locks. But what got him every time he looked at the picture were her eyes, glowing aqua orbs that sparkled when she smiled, just as they were in the photo. Ronon knew then that it had not been her voice that had captured him back in the pit, it was her eyes; and the longer he looked into them, the further into their depths did he fall.
"I'm not alone, Rayne." He mumbled as he clutched her photo against his chest, the alcohol in his system lulling him to sleep. "I'm not alone."
Night had fallen in Atlantis as most everyone inside had retreated to their quarters to rest. Rayne however found herself standing in the corridor outside of John's room, her hand raised to swipe the doorbell.
Upon their return to Atlantis, she had went to Ronon's room for their dinner date, only to find that the Satedan was nowhere to be found. Thinking that he perhaps had gotten busy doing something and didn't realize the time, or that he simply did not know that she had returned; Rayne made her way up to the control room to ask Dr. Weir if she knew of his whereabouts.
Disappointment filled her as Elizabeth revealed that Ronon had accompanied Teyla on a bartering mission and would be staying overnight on the planet. Her chest ached as she walked back towards her quarters, not because he was off-world with another woman like most would assume; but because he had lied to her. He had stated that he had no plans for them, but clearly he had plans for himself and chose to keep it from her; and on top of that he had made a dinner date with her knowing that he would not be back.
Frowning she swiped her hand across the sensor alerting the room's occupant to her presence. The door opened a moment later, a casually dressed John breaking into a smile as he found her in the hallway. "Hey, what's up?"
She held up a small bag filled with food, "I don't like eating alone, would you care to join me?"
He could clearly see her emotions swirling in her eyes, he could see the pain that she tried to blink away; he knew that she was supposed to have a dinner date with Ronon, and he couldn't imagine the big guy finding something better to do then be with Rayne. Smiling he stepped to the side and swept his arm towards the living area, "I would be honored Ms. Dawn."
The two sat down on the couch as Rayne pulled out the containers filled with that night's dinner. He smiled gratefully as Rayne handed him a fork and they dug in; his mind telling him to shut up, but his heart told him to ask what was wrong.
"I thought you and Ronon had a dinner date tonight?" He asked softly, hoping that he didn't make her feel worse.
She sighed taking a bite out of a French fry, "We did, but I guess he forgot. He went off-world with Teyla."
"I'm sorry." He said genuinely, before he offered her a wide smile. "But I hope I'm an acceptable substitute."
Just as he was hoping she smiled, a shimmer crossing her aqua-eyes as she gave a light airy laugh.
"You're not a substitute, John. I would gladly have dinner with you any time."
"I'm gonna hold you to that." He joked pointing a finger at her.
"You have my word." She laughed.
For the next several hours the two of them sat around laughing and talking, telling stories of their lives to one another. They found they had a common love for surfing or as her people called it "water riding", which John was more than surprised to find out that Rayne did; of course being from a planet made of water it kinda made complete sense to him. Being as that John owned a guitar and could play it quite well, Rayne taught him one of the songs that her father had enjoyed; refusing to actually sing it even though he was willing to put his comms device in his ear, she was not willing to chance trapping him. John also shared his love of football with Rayne, which she actually found that she enjoyed watching.
The two of them were battling in a game of poker, which John was regretting teaching to Rayne, as she was incredibly good at reading people; so she always seemed to know when he was bluffing, when his door chimed signaling someone outside.
He opened the door to find McKay standing there, his expression curious as he saw Rayne inside sitting on the floor by the couch. He turned back to Sheppard, the Colonel giving him an expected look which brought him back to why he was here in the first place. "Harry K. Daghlian."
"Who?"
"He was a scientist. Worked on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos. He was only 26 years old. Accidentally irradiated himself while performing a critical mass experiment on two half-spheres of plutonium. It took him a month to die, and while his body was slowly shutting down from radiation poisoning, you know what he did with his last thirty days? Hmm? He worked. He tried until his last breath to understand what had happened to him so that others could learn from the tragedy. So that his work, his death wouldn't be rendered meaningless."
Sheppard nods but appears skeptical as Rodney continues talking. "Now, have you considered what would've happened if they'd just shut the project down after that?"
"This is different."
"Is it? Collins' death is a pointless waste of life unless something comes of this, and I'm not sure that I can… I think I know what happened."
"Let's hear it."
"Can I come in?"
John glances back at Rayne before stating, "No."
"The Ancients had it wrong. Our mistake was using their equations. Look, I just did the calculations again myself. I did them three times just to be sure, and I am positive the problem is in the automatic containment protocols."
"Okay, what's your fix?"
"I'm proposing that we adjust the field strength manually."
"You saw how fast it spiked on you."
"So we don't operate the generator at anywhere near its potential. Look, there's no need to be greedy. Even operating at fifty percent, it'll still generate the power of a dozen Zed PMs."
"How come the Ancients didn't figure this out?"
"Maybe they were caught up in the heat of battle, or maybe they thought they needed as much power as they could get. Maybe they weren't smart enough."
"And you are?"
"No, I didn't say that, but I have the benefit of hindsight, they didn't."
"Look, this is big. This is the wheel, the light bulb…the hot dog big."
"Best-case scenario?"
"I win a Nobel Prize."
John smiles before asking, "Worst-case scenario?"
"We tear a hole in the fabric of the universe." Rodney sees Sheppard's alarm and quickly adds to his statement. "Which is much less likely to happen than the Nobel Prize. I mean, look, the risks are nothing compared to the potential benefits. Elizabeth will listen to you. I've never asked this of you before, but I think I've earned it. Trust me."
Less than ten minutes later John found himself standing in Elizabeth's office, trying to plead Rodney's case, but so far it was to no avail.
"I've already made this decision, John."
"If Dr. McKay says he's solved the problem, I don't see why we don't give him another shot." Caldwell offers not seeing any harm in letting the scientist try again.
"Isn't the Daedalus about ready to head back to Earth?" Weir comments, she'd had about enough of the Colonel's input and so called help.
Caldwell scoffs, he knows how much his being in Atlantis irritates Weir. "Yes, we are, but I think you should know the Pentagon has taken a very keen interest in this vacuum energy."
"I'm sure they have, but the Pentagon doesn't make the decisions here."
"I may not have the power to overrule you on this, but when I get back to Earth, I'm going to be making the recommendation that Dr. McKay be allowed to continue his work to the highest authorities. Ultimately, Dr. Weir, this won't be up to you."
Elizabeth locks gazes with him for a while, then turns to John. "Can Rodney guarantee that the same thing won't happen?"
"Nobody can do that." John answered honestly.
"Then what's changed?"
"According to him, it's the Ancients calculations that were wrong, not his."
"If McKay is that confident, I don't see why—"
Elizabeth cuts Caldwell off, "Confidence is not something Dr. McKay is in any short supply of."
"With good reason. If anyone can do this—"
She again cuts him off, trying to make him understand the gravity of what he was suggesting. "The Ancients could not do this. I mean, that's what it keeps coming back to for me."
"Isn't it possible that you have placed the Ancients on such a high pedestal, that you can't even consider the possibility that they may be wrong?"
"Why are we mincing words, Colonel? You want the weapon."
"Yes! I do. A weapon that could effectively eliminate the Wraith threat is very attractive to me, and to the people that I work for. I'm not hiding that fact. But there's more to it, isn't there? No more hunting for ZPMs. The shield at full strength. Faster, more powerful ships… how about a power source that can provide the energy needs for an entire planet? No more fossil fuels."
"I get it, and if it worked as advertised, it would be wonderful. I'm trying to tell you… I know Rodney McKay, and there are times when I have to protect him from himself."
"I can do that. Let me go back with him, just him and me. You can activate the Stargate any time you want to contact us by radio." John offers.
"He really sold you."
"He asked me to trust him."
Begrudgingly because of his own words John returned to his chambers and told Rayne that he'd have to take a raincheck on their night. Of course she accepted the offer with grace and a smile, which only made the Colonel feel worse about having to run out on her.
Seeing the guilt written clearly on his face Rayne smiled, laying a light hand on his arm. "Tell you what, why don't I come along too. That way you don't have to feel guilty for leaving, and I can keep you from shooting Rodney when he annoys you."
"I wouldn't shoot him." John grumbles as they leave the room and head for the armory to gear up.
Rayne looks back at him with a raised eyebrow, "I believe Teyla told me that you shot him in the leg once."
"He was wearing a personal protective shield." John scoffed defending himself. "It was for scientific purposes."
"Right." She said with a smile as she walked on ahead of him. "Come on… Dr. Sheppard."
Once the three of them were back inside of the ancient facility on Doranda, Sheppard and Rayne hook up laptops to the Ancient equipment, while Rodney directs their efforts, while also thanking them for coming along.
"I appreciate your support, Colonel, but don't worry. I try to make it a habit not to make the same mistake twice." Rodney states very confidently.
"That was a joke, right?" John questions.
"No. I offer you my personal assurance that a surge like the one that happened before is inconceivable."
"Do you want to run some power-up simulations first?"
"How about I carry out my plan, and you keep the hot coffee coming?" John stares at him. "I was, uh, joking again, right? Now, where were we?"
Inside of the Atlantis control room Radek pulls Dr. Weir aside as he has finished checking the accident data and has some very large concerns. "Dr. Weir, I need to speak to you right away."
"What is it?"
"I've finished going over the accident data. I think I know why the Ancients abandoned this technology."
After hearing what he had to say Elizabeth heads over to the control tech and asks him to open a wormhole to Doranda. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Atlantis."
Inside the facility Sheppard hears Elizabeth's voice over his radio, "Go ahead."
"Is Dr. McKay with you?"
"Of course I am, but we're a little busy getting ready to run a test here."
"Actually I would like you to delay the test firing."
"Why?"
"We have reason to believe that the weapon's power source—it may not be controllable at any power level."
Rodney rolls his eyes and raises his arms in a frustrated gesture, realizing instantly who has made her think this. "Radek?"
"Rodney." The other scientist replies.
"Okay, we have been over this. I am doing this manually, at half power. It's a cakewalk."
"It don't think it matters how much cake you walk on. I've been doing calculations of my own, and I believe the very act of trying to contain vacuum energy from our own space-time creates an environment where the laws of physics cease to apply."
"What are you on about?"
"As power output increases, new and exotic particles are continuously created and destroyed inside the containment chamber, interacting with each other, and with the field itself. Eventually, particles are created that cannot be predicted in this space-time. And they breach the containment field as hard radiation."
"And as long as I'm monitoring the energy output manually, I can stop that before it happens."
Radek replies intensely trying to get McKay to understand. "You cannot predict something that is inherently unpredictable."
"Rodney?" John asks skeptically as he glances over at Rayne who looks increasingly concerned.
"I know what I'm doing."
"Rodney, I am trying to tell you as a friend, I have serious doubts."
"Well, you're wrong. Sorry, but there it is. And to bring this up now when I'm about to do this smacks of nothing but professional jealousy."
"Fine. Kill yourself, just like the Ancients did!" Radek shouts furiously.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you mean by that?" Sheppard questions as he and Rayne now join McKay closer to the control console.
"I believe if the overload is allowed to continue, the weapon acts as a sort of release valve to prevent catastrophic containment failure. The Ancients barely managed to shut it down, and they lost their lives in the process."
"What we're suggesting is that the Wraith didn't kill everyone on that planet. It was the weapon itself." Elizabeth adds.
"That would explain why this place is the only thing left standing." John states.
"Congratulations, you've solved the mystery of how the Ancients screwed up ten thousand years ago. It doesn't mean that I will do the same. Look, I don't know how else to say this, but none of you are capable of understanding this on the same level that I do. And Zelenka, that includes you."
Zelenka throws up his hands in frustration as Elizabeth tries to reason with McKay. "Rodney, I cannot afford to lose any of you three. Now, tell me, can you do this?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?" John asks him.
"Yes."
"Are you sure you're sure?"
"I said yes!"
Rayne lays her hand on Rodney's arm bringing his attention to her. "Rodney, you asked us to trust you and I do, but please be honest with me. Are you positive you can do this?"
"Because if you're wrong—"
Rodney snaps cutting Sheppard off, "I'm not!" He turns to Rayne, "I promise, I can do this."
The three of them trade stares for a few moments before John sighs. "We'll call you back after the test. How does that sound?"
"You'd better."
"I won't let you down." Rodney states to both John and Rayne.
Sheppard gives McKay a hard look, while Rayne merely nods before the two of them walk out of the room.
Meanwhile the next morning Teyla and Ronon walk through the busy streets of the Belkan village.
"How are you feeling?" Teyla asks noticing Ronon's slightly sluggish walk.
"Fine."
"We should really be getting back. Dr. Weir will be expecting us."
"Kell's here." He states.
"What?"
"He's meeting with Hendon right now. Solen just told me. I have to see him."
"And you would like me to arrange a meeting."
"After yesterday, I don't think I'd get very far if I asked myself." He says and Teyla nods in agreement.
McKay and Sheppard work at separate consoles inside the facility, the Siren standing beside John assisting however she could.
Rodney grins as he stands behind them staring at his laptop as he speaks confidently. "Okay, this is good. My equations are working like a charm. Power level is at forty percent, just to be on the safe side. I think we're ready for our test."
"Where do you want the weapon targeted?"
"The debris orbiting the planet."
"Sounds good."
"Bringing the weapon online… now."
In the containment chamber, the power source pulses. The sound grows louder suddenly and Sheppard looks back at Rodney. "What's that?"
"An energy surge. It's fine. I can regulate it." He states as his display shows temperatures moving into the red area.
"I thought you said you could contain—"
"The temperature inside the containment field is well within acceptable parameters. I'm staying ahead of it."
The display shows the temperatures continuing to rise and Rodney becomes concerned. "The levels are rising in the chamber." He turns to Sheppard. "Re-route power from the secondary systems to the containment field."
"I'm thinking we need to abort."
"I can compensate. Just give me a minute." He says as the "Overload" message starts to flash on the computer screen.
"It's overloading. Just like last time."
"There is no logical reason this shouldn't be working!"
"McKay."
"None of this should be happening!" Rodney says starting to sound panic-stricken. "Look, the energy levels are spiking at a rate far greater than anything I predicted."
"Rodney!" Rayne hollers, the sound growing louder causing her own ears to ache. She internally wonders if this is how her scream makes others feel.
"Shut it down!" John orders.
McKay turns to look at Sheppard as if in disbelief. He shows a moment of doubt, then turns back to his computer angrily. "Fine." In the containment chamber, the energy pulses much more than before. McKay makes inputs to his computer, but nothing happens. "It doesn't make any sense."
"What's wrong?"
With a shocked face Rodney turns to face his friends and admits, "I can't shut it down."
Inside the empty tavern Ronon sits with his back to the door, staring out the window in front of him. He hears the door open and several people entering.
"I am Kell from Sateda."
"Teyla Emmagan of Athos. Thank you for granting us your time."
Kell sees a man coming towards them, but his face his blocked by the staircase beam that crosses above them. "If we are to trade, I would know all the members of your party."
Teyla smiles, "Of course. In fact, that is why we are here."
Ronon steps out from behind the staircase, his hand tucked beneath his long duster jacket.
"Ronon!?" Kell asks shocked.
"Hello, Kell." Ronon pulls his weapon and shoots Kell in the chest, killing him instantly. All of Kell's men point their weapons at Ronon and Teyla.
Teyla pulls her knife standing with her back up against Ronon's. "Ronon, what have you done?"
Ronon stands with his arms out to his side showing he will not shoot anyone else. "We all know who this man was, what he was. If anyone here believes he should be avenged… here I am."
The men lower their weapons, Ronon walks out and Teyla follows. She catches up to Ronon and stops him, pushing him against a wall and holding her knife to his throat.
"You just used me to murder an innocent man."
Ronon pulls her hand away, "He deserved worse."
"You said he was like a father to you."
"Kell commanded several infantry divisions on Sateda. And when the Wraith came, he ordered thousands to their deaths just to save himself. He was… he was a traitor and a coward. My only regret is that his death was quick."
Teyla thinks about it for a moment. "I understand. In your place, I might have done the same… But believe me when I tell you that the others would not. We must not speak of this when we return to Atlantis." She turns a threatening gaze upon her friend. "And if you ever use my friendship in such a way again, I will not be so understanding."
The Ancient weapon sitting on top of the building is pivoting on its axis and firing random energy bursts into the sky. The motions is so violent that the entire facility is rocked with the movements.
"What was that?" John questions pointing a finger towards the ceiling.
"The weapon's discharging to prevent a catastrophic overload."
"We need to go now." Rayne hollers to both men as sparks start raining down on them from the ceiling as one of the consoles explodes.
John nods in agreement with her, "All right, that's it. We're out of here."
"What did I just say? The weapon is firing at random targets above the planet. This is the safest place to be right now." Rodney states yelling as he focuses on his laptop.
"This place isn't gonna be safe for very much longer."
"I can bring it back under control. Just give me a second."
Sheppard grabs McKay by the vest and swings him around. "No, you can't!"
Rodney yanks himself away and turns back to his computer. "One second!"
"I've seen this before, Rodney. Pilots who wouldn't eject when something went wrong trying to fix their planes…" He smacks the desk to make his point. "…right until it hit the ground."
With Sheppard's words McKay finally comes to a realization. "Okay, we need to leave. I've waited too long. The weapon can't discharge enough power to avoid a catastrophic overload. This whole planet is gonna go up." He grabs his laptop and goes to the ladder. "Not that your speech wasn't working."
The weapon continues firing in all directions as the trio rush inside of the Jumper and strap into their seats.
"Okay, strap in." John orders.
"You need to avoid flying in predictable trajectories to prevent the weapon locking onto us."
"I know what I'm doing."
"I'm just saying, be sure not to fly in a straight line."
"Rodney, shut up!"
The Jumper leaves the planet, maneuvering to avoid the energy weapons pulses passing all around it.
"Can I just say there's no way the Jumper can take even one direct hit?"
"I'll keep that in mind." Sheppard states as he maneuvers the Jumper up into the atmosphere and through the debris field, the weapon firing all around them.
"Weapon's locking onto us."
"How about I fly us away from the planet, and return after the overload?" John suggests.
"We can't."
"Why not?" Rayne shouts from her seat behind Sheppard.
"Look, don't you understand? This explosion is going to take out three-quarters of the solar system. There's no way we can fly far enough, fast enough. We have to head for the gate."
"Dial the gate."
McKay starts dialing as the Jumper continues its zig-zagging flight while the weapon hits pieces of debris behind it. "How do you intend to avoid getting hit on the final approach?"
"I haven't figured that part out yet."
The Jumper is leaving the debris field; the active Stargate is ahead. With the weapons fire close, the Daedalus suddenly arrives and moves into position between the Jumper and the planet, its shield protecting them from the blasts.
"It's a good thing we stopped by to check your progress, Colonel." Caldwell announces over the radio. "Make a break for the Stargate. We'll run interference."
In the back seat Rayne lets out a sigh of relief before she takes the liberty of radioing back. "Copy that, Daedalus."
"Stand by to engage sub-light engines on my mark." Caldwell calls out to his crew.
"Recommend you go into hyperspace as soon as we go through. There's going to be a big bang." Sheppard conditions them.
"Understood."
The Jumper goes through the gate at the same moment that the Daedalus enters hyperspace, as the entire planet explodes behind them.
Ronon and Teyla arrive back to Atlantis through the Stargate carrying their sacks of seed. "Take this grain to the storage room." Teyla says as she hands it off to one of the soldiers that had been protecting the gate.
Above them in the observation area, McKay and Weir argue, while Rayne and Sheppard stand off to the side shaking their heads in frustration. Teyla and Ronon overhear them, exchanging concerned looks.
"…everybody on this base. You are the smartest man we have."
"I know!"
"You knew there was a question about what you were doing. And you put your life and other people's lives at risk."
"But—"
"You destroyed three-quarters of a solar system!"
"Well, five-sixths. It's not an exact science."
"Rodney, give your ego a rest for one second?"
An hour later John and Rayne are heading down a corridor towards the command tower, when Sheppard sees McKay coming towards them. He gently grabs Rayne's arm and steers them the other way.
"Oh, Colonel. Colonel! I've been looking all over for you both." Rodney says as he jogs to catch up with them.
"I heard." Sheppard turns to face him, Rayne as well, both of them crossing their arms.
"I suppose I deserve that. Look, I just, um…I wanted to apologize about what happened. I was wrong. I'm sorry. And I wanted to assure you that I intend on being right again, about everything, effective immediately."
Sheppard smirks at him condescendingly.
"That was a joke."
"Good one." Sheppard states as he and Rayne turn and step into the transporter.
Rodney rushes forward to stop them, "I've already apologized to Elizabeth."
At Rayne's sympathetic glance Sheppard reluctantly remains and turns back to face Rodney.
"And Radek and… and I thanked Colonel Caldwell for caring enough to spy on the experiment from orbit. Sent him a nice little e-mail, actually. But I saved you till last because, um… Honestly, I would…I would hate to think that recent events might have permanently dimmed your faith in my abilities… Or your trust. At the very least, I hope I can— I can earn that back."
John and Rayne exchange glances before the Siren addresses their friend. "That may take a while."
Rodney's face drops in sadness, "I see."
"But… I'm sure you can do it, if you really, really try." Sheppard says as he and Rayne smile before activating the transporter controls, and the doors close.
McKay smiles briefly, then sighs with some residual sadness as he realizes how close he came to losing his friend's trust forever.