Chapter Four:
Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy
Carson walked toward the impatient group in his infirmary; his paces slow and steady as he looked over the file in his hand, glancing at two patients sitting in their beds, impatiently looking at Carson for information.
"What have you got?" Doctor Weir asked immediately, walking towards him, her eyes full of concern.
Carson took a breath.
"Well," He began, as John, Rodney, Teyla and Aiden took steps closer to their leader. "Their hormone levels were higher then normal, a chemical imbalance in their brains, caused by what ever means they were transported here I can only assume, cause their irregular hormonal levels to make them act…" He trailed off, looking with his eyebrows high at the patients. John shuffled.
"Act like teenagers?" He added in helpfully. Carson nodded slightly.
"So what does that mean?" Elizabeth asked, anxiety filling her tone of voice.
"It means," Answered Beckett, "That during the night, they came down. As their levels were righting themselves, the Colonel and General got moody, sleepy and sullen." Elizabeth nodded.
"Are they okay now?"
"Should be. Just don't have them doing any work with heavy machinery, and they'll be fine. It's nothing a good night of non-drugged sleep and some food won't cure."
Elizabeth nodded, as John's arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders.
"Can we take them out now?" She asked, leaning back into John's chest.
Carson nodded.
"Please do. General O'Neill is the worst patient I've ever had."
Elizabeth smiled.
Several hours later, the sun had risen high into the sky above Atlantis as the team, Elizabeth, Jack and Sam sat in the briefing room with Sergeant Bates, Zelenka and various scientists.
"So…" Elizabeth frowned, "You were examining a machine created by the ancients, in Colonel Carter's lab…when you, General O'Neill pressed the only button on the machine, activating the machine whilst Daniel Jackson and Teal'c were present?"
Jack nodded.
"Exactly! Now what I want to know, is why Danny-boy and Teal'c weren't transferred with us here. They were in the room."
Sam's eyes clouded over as she thought back.
.:FLASHBACK:.
"Any idea?" Daniel asked, looking at the machine.
Jack shrugged.
"Well, he made it when he had the Ancients knowledge downloaded in his brain…he might not remember. The only way might to be to play it by ear." I said, grinning slightly.
"Play it by EAR? May I remind you where that got us LAST time I stuck my head in an Ancient machine?" Jack's response was expected. But what else were we going to do? None of our allies knew what this was…
"Well, what else are we going to do? None of out allies know anything about the design…There was no writings of any kind…" Daniel grinned, thinking he had just won us the argument.
"All you need to do is press the little red button sir…" I added in, slowly. He looked at me, pinching his nose as his hand slowly went toward the small red indentation, which I had assumed was the activation button.
Finger millimeters from making contact, I held my breath. Suddenly Daniel interrupted.
"Hold on a minute!" Pulling his hand away sharply, Jack turned to Daniel.
"What?"
Daniel smiled. "The light should be off." He turned and flicked the switch, standing with Teal'c at the back as Jack touched the switch. Realizing one of the plates covering the inner machinery was not connected, I reached out, sealing It shut with my palm as the white light engulfed everything in the room.
.:END FLASHBACK:.
Sam, clutching her temples, raised her head, clicking her fingers.
"I have a theory!"
Jack and Elizabeth nodded, while McKay let out a small scoff.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Just before Jack activated the machine, I pressed down on a small piece of metal plating. It was falling off, so I covered it, keeping it shut so the machine would start. Now, it could be that whoever touched the machine was transported, OR it could be because Daniel moved away to turn off the light, anyone in a certain vicinity say, I dunno, a meter, could be transported."
McKay let out another small scoff, at which everyone in the room turned to stare.
"What? Really. We've been in Atlantis for how long now? WE know how Ancient technology worked. WE'VE met them! If I had the machine, I could have told you it's purpose it three seconds flat! No offence Samantha."
John leaned over, and whispered;
"I think he feels threatened." Leaning away, he grinned.
"Okay, so we have how you got here. Now why did you come here? Why does the machine do that?" Elizabeth asked, shifting in her chair.
Sam frowned.
"Perhaps it was meant to transport the ancients from Earth to Atlantis." Aiden said smugly. Rodney glared.
Sam nodded in approval.
"It would make sense."
Elizabeth clapped her hands, looking at her watch.
"Well done. We've been here for three hours, and we have some good theories. I think it might be good for a bit of a rest and-"
Sam interrupted.
"I would like to see some of the ancient technology."
"I'll take her." McKay added, as Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak.
"I want to hear about these…Wraith." Jack said quickly.
Elizabeth frowned.
She opened her mouth to speak again.
"I'll take him to meet our prisoners." John grinned.
Elizabeth sighed, nodding her head as everyone quickly filed out, leaving her, quite alone.
Ttfn!
