Strange Bedfellows
A/N: Yes, I'm going to string John up, and no, not in that way! You dirty, dirty people:) Although I do get a nice mental image... ahem. Anyway.
I lost my mojo in this chapter. I'm not happy with this one, but the next one is better, I promise! All you Kavanagh fans are in for something, lol. ;)
Chapter 17: The Best Laid Plans
His shoulders hurt like the devil. John had thought that sitting in the cramped cockpit of a Cobra did numbers on his back, but this was infinitely worse. Sore didn't even begin to describe how it felt. At least I'm feeling something in them, he thought as he tried to move his arms. They were unresponsive and numb - no surprise considering they had been strung above him. All the blood had rushed out of his tied up limbs. He had now been hanging from the ceiling with his bound hands above him for the past… well, he didn't know for how long. Despite his best efforts, he had dozed off soon after Hergon and the others had left him alone in the interrogation room.
John tried to relieve some of the pressure off of his aching joints, but his toes barely touched the floor. There was no possible way to get any leverage.
At that moment, the door opened. By the sound of the footsteps, John guessed only one individual had entered - a human - but since he was facing the back corner of the room he could not confirm his theory.
"Major Sheppard," the newcomer greeted. It didn't surprise John to learn that the voice belonged to Hergon.
Great, just who I wanted to see, he thought resentfully. This guy must really have it out for me.
Hergon remained silent, not even moving. Not hearing any footsteps, John knew the man was standing in place and studying him. At least he hoped that was all the man was doing; not knowing was driving Sheppard insane.
Finally, the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor reached his ears followed by an expulsion of breath as the Klaan leader sat down, almost as if he had had a long, arduous day. John rolled his eyes. He should have spent the last few hours in my shoes.
Several beats of silence followed as Hergon decided the best way to approach his prisoner. His previous tactics had proven fruitless. Perhaps a new strategy would yield more promising results.
"Major, you must be wondering by now why we require your help," he began and paused to see if there was a reaction from his detainee.
There was none. John couldn't care less why they wanted him. But curiosity got the better of him and he did wonder why Hergon was being so forthcoming with him. Surely he didn't think because he was about to explain himself that he would get anything out of John? The major remained quiet and listened.
"As you have most likely suspected," Hergon continued, "we need your Ancient gene to complete our assignment. That and the knowledge of the inner workings of your city, which only the leader of Atlantis would have." He practically spit out the last part, disgusted at the treachery of his captive.
John knew it was true; despite his lofty position as head of Atlantis's military contingent, only the head of the expedition would know everything that had been discovered so far. Elizabeth knew more than him and it made him all the more relieved that she was home safe.
Hergon went on. "I have discussed it with my subordinates and we have come to the conclusion that while you did lie about your position, your knowledge as military commander can still prove valuable. And assuming you did not also lie about your possession of the gene, our plan can still be carried out." He did not divulge, however, that if the occasion presented itself, he would seek out Dr. Weir once he had control of Atlantis and take the information he needed by force. And if time permitted, he would also inflict a little revenge as well….
"And what exactly is your plan?" asked John finally, now fully interested. If Hergon was being so open with him, he was going to find out what this was all about.
"To take Atlantis of course. The Wraith will feed upon the entire population of the city until they have had their fill. Then they will use your ability to operate the Ancients' technology to access the location of all the human worlds you have been to so that they may gather their strength, after which they will journey to your planet Earth, where their feeding ground will be forever rich and plentiful."
John inwardly cringed. He had assumed they had wanted Atlantis and Atlantis alone, but evidently he had been wrong. So, word of Earth traveled quickly. Apparently, the Wraith gossip like a bunch of old ladies. What little intel Colonel Sumner had provided the Keeper had now spread to the rest of the Wraith population, and they were all eager to reach this new feeding ground.
"And you think by telling me this that I'm now going to help you?" John asked incredulously. Was Hergon out of his mind? Yeah, telling me that your buddies want to suck the life out of all my friends is really going to win me over.
Hergon smiled and paused in thought. He then arose from his seated position and walked over to the open door. John heard him close it before returning to his chair and wondered what that meant. When the Klaan spoke next, it was in hushed tones, almost as if he didn't want anyone to overhear.
"You did not let me finish, Major. What you know of the Alliance between the races of the Klaan and the Wraith is… not entirely accurate. Our relationship has been strained of late. Day by day, the Wraith have grown increasingly hostile toward my people, threatening to cull them if we do not provide them with more sufficient information. They have been displeased with us, claiming we have not upheld our end of the bargain as favorably as they have theirs. We will soon die if nothing is done to appease them."
"That's too bad. Really," John responded cynically. There was apparently more to this coalition of crazies than met the eye. But then again, that was politics for you: one party was always out for their best interest, the other party be damned. Backstabbing was all too common in the world of treaties and alliances.
"You jest, but you do not yet know how you can benefit." He lowered his voice even more and glanced back at the door to ensure no one was listening before continuing. "Some of my people have planned a rebellion. We no longer feel we owe the Wraith our services and will not tolerate their oppression any longer. When we reach Atlantis, we hope to contain the Wraith there while we travel to Earth ourselves. They will be left there to do as they wish while we Klaans will be free to venture to a new and lush planet."
This surprised John. He hadn't realized that it was the Klaans, the far weaker race, that would be doing the backstabbing. But then again, this was the same group of people who had sold out their own kind.
"If you provide us, Major, with the information on how to travel to Earth and offer us no resistance in operating the required Atlantean technology, we will spare your life and take you with us back to your planet. What do you say?"
Sheppard resisted the urge to laugh out loud. "I'll think about it," he said dryly. Of course he wasn't going to help this psycho in any way at all. It astonished John how Hergon actually expected to leave his teammates, his friends, his family in the hands of the Wraith while they all scampered off to another galaxy. Besides, there were all sorts of holes in Hergon's plan; there was the power requirement problem that had prevented Atlantis from dialing Earth ever since the expedition had arrived. The only other way Atlantis could get to Earth was by using its intergalactic engine that the Ancients themselves had used millions of years ago… which the team had no clue how to use. He supposed they would need information in the Ancient database, which they weren't going to get. Still… there was the off-chance that it could technically work - but there would be no way in hell they would escape the Wraith.
"Good," Hergon said as he rose to his feet, not picking up on John's sarcastic tone.
Glancing up at his outstretched arms, John realized Hergon wasn't about to cut him down just yet. Once more, he was left alone in the room with nothing but his thoughts as company.
Ford sat upright on his bed and sighed. He had been thinking of a rescue plan for twelve hours straight and had gotten nowhere. So far, he had only thought of one idea and it wasn't exactly a viable one. But unless anyone had any alternatives….
Pulling his cap on tight, he exited his quarters and made for McKay's lab. Aiden wanted to run his plan by the scientist and Teyla before executing it. He knew it was a bad idea considering what Elizabeth had been through already, but they had no other choice.
As he entered the lab, the two hunched over figures he was seeking came into view. They were both seated at a lab table with some papers in hand which they appeared to be pouring over. Both looked as if they had not slept in years. And to his discontent, Aiden also noticed Kavanagh seated on a far workbench studying some piece of technology Ford thought looked like a blender and was sure would be of no help getting the major back. The slime was just carrying on with life as usual. Far be it from him to lift a finger to help someone else, Ford thought.
"Hey, guys," he began as he reached them. "I got this idea, right, but…." His voice trailed off as he realized neither Teyla nor Rodney was listening. "Guys… hello…?" he tried, snapping his fingers.
This seemed to pull at least Teyla out of her trance. She looked up at him, wondering what he could possibly want before she thought better of herself. "I am sorry, Lieutenant, I was just trying to find-"
Ford held up a hand to cut her off and smiled. "It's okay, Teyla. I know." They, like he and most of the other people in Atlantis, had been working tirelessly at trying to come up with a plan. Everyone on the base, maybe with the exception of Kavanagh and Bates, missed the major dearly. And while it was true that some missed him more than others, all had liked him to some degree or another. They all found his carefree nature a welcome relief from the brutality and desperation of their situation. The military respected him and would follow him to hell and back if he thought that was the best course of action. The enlisted men especially admired Sheppard, as he never put them down or treated them any different from himself because of their rank. Aiden remembered how wary he had been of his then soon-to-be CO when Col. Sumner had informed him of the man's tendency to ignore orders. After he had proven his dependability and ability to lead, the lieutenant had immediately trusted Sheppard. He only wished he was here now to tell him what to do.
Surprisingly, the scientists also mourned the loss of not only one of their guinea pigs but a friend as well. While he had often grumbled about testing out new technology, John had never refused to help out. Through the course of the past few months, he had even struck up friendships with some of them, unlike most other military members who were quite standoffish and impersonal with the scientists.
"So, what have you got?" Ford asked Teyla. "Anything?"
She gave him an apologetic look. "I am sorry. We could not think of anything that was not either near impossible or that did not depend on knowing the exact location of Major Sheppard."
Ford frowned and took a seat. Here goes nothing…. "Okay, look. I have an idea but I'm going to tell you right off the bat that I don't like it anymore than you're going to. Since - Rodney."
There was no response from the doctor who was still scrutinizing a pamphlet of papers and notes on his laptop.
"Rodney," Aiden tried again. Still nothing. "Rodney!"
McKay jumped at the sound of his name being shouted. Unfortunately, his head hit a lamp that had been positioned over his work area. "Ah! Ah, ow, ow, ow," he winced, immediately putting a hand to his forehead and applying pressure as if he had just ruptured an artery. "Someone call a med team!" he cried. "Oh, God, I'm going to bleed to death… no, it's going to get infected first with some Ancient germ for which there is no cure and then I'm going to die a slow, painful death… my head is going to swell immensely - that is if my brain doesn't first…. Oh, God, my brain! I could already have permanent brain damage! Someone get Carson now before I die! Oh, no, my eye's twitching. Look! Look at it! I'm going to have a seizure!"
Ford and Teyla couldn't suppress their grins as the base's foremost hypochondriac ran around the lab clutching his skull. Leave it to McKay to break the tension. "Relax, Rodney. You don't need a med team. Look," Ford pointed out, removing the physicist's hands from his head. "You're not even bleeding. I doubt you'll even have a bruise."
McKay glanced at his hand in disbelief, expecting it to be covered in blood. "No, no, something is definitely wrong. I need an MRI and a CT scan-"
"Dr. McKay," Teyla tried. "I can assure you, there is nothing wrong."
"Listen, if it makes you feel better, we can get Beckett to do an MRI and CT after this is all over," Aiden promised. What a baby.
Rodney nodded and began to calm down, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. After several minutes, they were able to begin an intelligent conversation with him.
"As I was saying," Ford began, "this idea I have, it's not the best, but right now it's the only thing we've got." The two looked at him expectantly. He took a deep breath. "We ask Dr. Weir to take us back to wherever they are holding Major Sheppard."
He waited in silence. Teyla merely looked down at the table, as if she was uncertain but was too polite to say so. Rodney, however, did not bother with manners. "What, are you crazy? Don't be ridiculous; I've already thought of that." Ford looked a little disappointed, but Rodney continued anyway. "Have you seen what sort of state she's in, Ford? She won't even talk. There's no way we can ask her to go back to that place."
"Well, unless you've got something else…" Ford prompted. All he received was a hateful look from McKay, so he went on. "I'll take that as a 'no.' Okay, Teyla, what do you think?"
She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. "While I do think it is unwise to ask such a painful task of Dr. Weir, I believe it is necessary. We have no other choice."
"Okay," Ford said, clapping his hands together. "Let's go talk to her."
Kavanagh watched the three rise and walk out the door. He had listened to their entire ludicrous conversation and come to the conclusion that they were all insane. He had to warn Bates.
Several minutes later, Teyla, Ford, and Rodney arrived in the infirmary. McKay immediately noticed Elizabeth was in the same position she had been in the day before: her back was to them and she still faced the far wall. Sheppard's jacket was still being clung to. Motioning Carson over, McKay refrained from having the doctor examine his head 'injury' and instead inquired about her condition.
He sighed. "She's about the same as before. She won't even touch the solid foods we've been giving her. The good news is we're getting her hydrated, but she still hasn't uttered a sound. Won't even move either."
"Could she be cleared for off world activity?" Ford asked.
Beckett's eyes widened. "What, are you daft lad? Look at her. You didn't seriously think she was going anywhere, did you?" Getting a dead serious glare from the lieutenant, he voiced his concerns. "She's in no condition to go anywhere, son. Where were you planning on taking her anyway?"
"It's still a work in progress, Doc," Ford assured. "We'll let you know once we get the kinks ironed out of the plan." Kinks: understatement of the year. Did you forget about the Wraith platoon guarding the Gate, Aiden?
"Can we see her, Doctor Beckett?" Teyla inquired, attempting to steer the conversation back on course.
"Aye, but I wouldn't mention the major. Wouldn't want to upset her more than she already is."
"Thanks, Doc," Ford replied and they all headed toward Elizabeth's bed. Once again, from behind she appeared as if she was sleeping, but Rodney knew better.
Grabbing an untouched container of apple sauce, McKay slowly approached her as the others remained back. "Hey, Elizabeth," he greeted once more. Just as last time, she ignored him and continued to stare sadly at the wall in front of her. "You know, you should really eat something. We're all getting worried about you. Here, I got you some nice apple sauce." He offered her the container but she continued to gaze dejectedly at the wall.
Rodney frowned and looked at his teammates for advice. At Teyla's urging, he tried again. "Uh, okay. I can get you something else from the mess hall. What would you like? Chicken noodle soup, some chocolate cake, and, ooh, your favorite: vanilla ice cream. I'll even have a glass of lemonade with you, how's that sound?" he quipped. Yet Elizabeth remained unresponsive. Hey, I thought that was funny, he thought to himself.
Rodney sighed. There was no way this would work. "Okay, I'll come back later." He rose to leave when a soft voice stopped him.
"I would have stayed with him if he would have just let me," Elizabeth whispered, eyes still glued to the wall.
Rodney had to strain his ears to hear her, so softly she spoke. Looking to his teammates, he found the looks of puzzlement on their faces confirmed that they, too, had heard her speak. He mouthed "what do I do?" to his team. Ford responded my making a motion with his hands that Rodney thought resembled casting a fishing line. Great, that really helps, he thought, rolling his eyes. He decided to continue his conversation with Elizabeth, hoping to coax her out of this despondent state.
"If who would have let you?" Rodney asked, although he already guessed the answer. But he didn't know what else to say to her. Maybe if he got her to talk about it….
Elizabeth did not reply. She couldn't bring herself to utter his name; it was too hard for her and the pain was still too near. Squeezing her eyes shut, she attempted to prevent the tears from falling out.
Trying once more, McKay sat on her bed and spoke in gentle tones. "Elizabeth, can you tell us what happened? Anything at all?"
Slowly, Elizabeth rolled from her side and looked up at Rodney. Noticing the sudden motion, a concerned Beckett made his way over but was motioned back by Rodney's hand. He didn't want to risk losing what they had fought so hard to gain. This was progress.
"He lied," she told him simply, not even acknowledging the others in the room. "He… told me we were going home, that they had agreed to his deal… he said we were going home, but he stayed. He stayed so I could go," Elizabeth choked out.
Rodney sighed as the heaviness of her words descended upon him. Damn him, he cursed silently. It was just like Sheppard to put others before himself. Couldn't he work on getting his ass out in one piece next time? If there is a next time, Rodney reminded himself. McKay was still unsure of the details of what had transpired, but he supposed they didn't matter now. All that mattered was the location of wherever they were holding Sheppard.
"Elizabeth, do you remember where they were keeping you? Was it a Wraith ship?"
She shook her head and the others could not hide their shock. "Was it a Wraith outpost?" McKay asked, intrigued. When she nodded, he couldn't help but grin. Ever since they had returned from the ruins, he had suspected that they had been taken to a Wraith stronghold of sorts. This would make their mission a whole lot easier.
"Do you remember where it is?"
She thought back to when the Klaans and Wraith were leading her back to the Stargate. They had traveled in a relatively straight line, so maybe…. Again, she nodded.
"Do you think you could take us back there?"
Elizabeth's look of uncertainty changed into one of horror. They weren't actually asking her to go back to that horrible place, were they? "No, I can't!" she cried, retreating back to the far end of her cot.
"Elizabeth, you wouldn't actually have to go back in there, just guide us to where it is-"
"No! I can't go back there! You don't understand…. I just can't. Please don't make me." Her eyes were full of fear and uncertainty.
"Rodney…" Carson warned. This was going too far, and high stress levels were not good for his patient. He didn't want to trigger some sort of episode.
"Right, okay," McKay conceded. This just wasn't working; they would have to think of something else. "Don't worry, you'll be fine," he told Elizabeth. Defeated, he rose and left the room with the rest of his team, set to work on another strategy. But he couldn't help but feeling that they had run out of options.
TBC
You don't really think that's it for the Klanns' plan, do you? There's more than meets the eye, let's just say. Review please!
