Title: Out of Control
Author: SlayersGrl
Summary: A routine trading mission goes awry when a member
of Atlantis's flagship team is taken hostage by a mysterious entity.
Author's note: Here's another chapter for you. Enjoy!
Chapter 4: One Human Life
Dr. Elizabeth Weir was surprised to see Major Sheppard's team reporting in four hours early. She hoped it was just to say that negotiations had wrapped up early, but with this team's track record, she had a feeling that wouldn't be the case.
"Atlantis, this is Lieutenant Ford. We have a situation."
She silently groaned. Of course they would have a situation. "Go ahead Lieutenant," she replied, hoping it was something minor for once.
"We need you to secure the gate room and have a medical team standing by." There was a pause in the transmission as Ford contemplated how to best break the news. "Major Sheppard's been compromised."
Struggling to keep her emotions from showing, she hurried to reply. "Compromised how?"
Ford took a moment to consider the question. He wasn't even sure he had an answer. "There seems to be something controlling him. He threatened to shoot Teyla and we had to restrain him."
Weir was constantly amazed at how much trouble this group seemed to find even in a galaxy as vast as Pegasus. She looked out over the balcony of the control room and noticed that the security personnel were in place and Dr. Beckett was standing off to the side with a small medical team. "Understood Lieutenant. We're ready for you on this end."
She watched as Dr. McKay was the first to step through the wormhole. He looked up at her position and she saw frustration and confusion clearly written on his face. Next through the gate was Major Sheppard, his hands tied behind his back, followed by Teyla and Ford, each pointing their weapons squarely at him.
She tried to study the major's face to see if she could notice anything different. Currently, he was smiling in delight, almost like a kid in a candy store. Then he noticed all the raised weapons pointed in his direction and the expression quickly turned to barely controlled rage.
"Lieutenant, what happened out there?" she asked once she had descended the stairs from the control room. "I thought you were just negotiating a simple trade agreement?"
"The Argosians agreed to our trade demands, but they wanted Major Sheppard to take part in one of their rituals. They said all he had to do was to sit on a chair in their temple and let their gods judge him." Ford replied, never once taking his eyes off his target.
McKay interrupted at this point. "Of course, nothing is ever that simple when it comes to the major… The temple seems to have been built using some Ancient technology. The whole place lit up as soon as he entered."
"You mean like Atlantis did?" Weir asked, trying to understand what he meant.
"Exactly Dr. Weir," Teyla replied.
"To make a long story short," Ford continued, "the major sat in the chair and was engulfed in a blue light. That's when he started acting weird. He rushed us out of the temple to head back to the Stargate. We realized something was wrong and when we confronted him, he pulled his gun on Teyla. The major regained control for a short period of time, but we haven't been able to get the entity to let us talk him since then."
Weir nodded her head, absorbing the short explanation. Then she turned her attention to whatever it was that had taken over Major Sheppard's body. "Do you have a name?"
"Major John Sheppard," it replied.
"I know that's not your name. There must be something we can call you."
"You may call me whatever you wish. But whether you like it or not, for the foreseeable future, I am John Sheppard. Now, I insist that you let me go immediately."
"You know I can't do that."
"Hey," Ford added, "in case you didn't notice, you're in no position to be making demands."
The entity smiled. "Oh, I disagree. I think I'm in the perfect position to be making demands. I have the perfect bargaining chip."
"And that would be?" Weir asked, dreading the answer but needing to ask the question.
"One human life." And for the second time that day the major collapsed on the ground, screaming in agony.
She was frozen in place, unable to comprehend what was happening and what she could do to stop it. She heard Dr. Beckett yelling at her to let him help and she felt herself nodding her consent. He was at the major's side in a heartbeat and quickly injected him with a sedative. The screaming stopped moments later leaving the man lying still on the cold floor.
"Is he…?" she heard herself say.
"His pulse is strong but erratic. I won't know more until I can get him to the infirmary," Beckett replied, already preparing his patient for the short trip.
"Do it. Let me know if you need anything."
Then they were off, Major Sheppard lying prone on a stretcher and his team quickly following the small medical team down the hallway.