CHAPTER THREE – SURPRISE, SURPISE, SURPRISE
Ford fell into place in their usual formation as they made their way along the dim corridors. Major Sheppard was first. While his P-90 wasn't quite up and ready, it was in a guard position so that he could aim and shoot in an instant if he needed to. Dr. McKay followed Sheppard, but was too wrapped up in what was showing on his computer to pay attention the security side of things. Teyla moved along just ahead of Ford.
Lights continued to illuminate in what seemed like a random pattern as they made their way along a corridor that Ford figured wound partially around the perimeter of the building. It reminded him of the way Atlantis had woken up on their arrival, but in this place it seemed a little different. More stark . . . eerie even.
The corridor that they had been following dead-ended at a set of triple doors that looked like a cross between some of the fancier ones in the city and blast doors. A control panel was set in the wall to one side. It was completely dark.
McKay stopped in front of it and, after looking at his scanning device, waved his hand before the dark surface. When nothing happened after a second, he laid his hand on it.
"Can you read this, McKay?" Sheppard asked from the other side of the doors which contained a plaque with some sort of symbol on it.
McKay didn't even bother to look up. "Maybe after I've figured out why nothing is happening when I try to open this door."
"What do you mean 'nothing's happening'?" Sheppard moved away from the plaque and closer to the panel. "Nothing's happening like it isn't getting power or nothing's happening like you don't know why nothing's happening?"
"What does it matter?" McKay snapped. "It isn't working. The only door from the jumper bay leads here! If we don't get past these doors we don't go any farther."
"So fix it already so we can get inside." The major was trying to be reasonable.
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" McKay flashed back as he palmed the panel again, before looking at the hand held energy device. "Although it isn't quite so simplistic as you seem to think, Major. But, as usual, this problem, too, I shall solve."
"It looks like all you're doing is the same thing over and over again. Are you sure you're thinking the right things?" Sheppard threw McKay's words back at him.
Ford shared a look with Teyla and fought to hold back a snicker. As far as he was concerned, McKay had it coming.
The doctor shot Sheppard a withering look before displaying his device again. "This says that this panel is getting power – it should be working just fine, but it clearly isn't. Now, while I would love to stand here and discuss the intricacies of . . . ."
Sheppard stepped closer to the panel and touched it. The screen lit up immediately. McKay's jaw dropped open and for several moments he seemed speechless.
"Works fine," Sheppard said while the doors began to silently rotate inward.
"W-wait a minute. What did you do that was different than what I did?"
McKay wanted to know.
Sheppard shrugged with a smug grin. "I just touched it. It likes me better."
"We both have the ATA gene. So why did it open for you and not for me?" McKay's tone was almost pitiful and Ford had to roll his eyes.
To Ford's surprise, instead of teasing the doctor further, Sheppard's voice became more serious. "I don't know, but I'm sure there's a reason for it. You'll figure it out."
McKay collected himself. "Of course I will. There's probably something in the database. Maybe it has something to do with the function of this place. Whatever that is."
Ford shook his head as he and Teyla followed the two older men into the room.
John stepped into the room and the first thing that caught his attention was the chair. It sat in a far corner of the large open area and while very similar to the chair in Antarctica, there were some stand out differences – like the raised neck rest along the back. Beyond the chair, the wall was covered with controls and knobs that reminded John oddly of an Atlantean version of old style main frame computers. So much for the place having no defenses.
As everyone began to fan out, he noticed other things about the room. Like doors set into the walls at intervals. Then there was the console that McKay made a bee-line for. "This is a DHD," he announced. He touched one of the buttons and it immediately lit and stayed lit. "And it even works. . . ." he murmured thoughtfully.
. . . for me. The words rattled through John's brain, but he didn't let them out. He knew that being ignored by the tech had been disturbing to the other man.
"Why would there be a DHD here when there is no Stargate?" Rodney continued, examining the intricacies of the device.
"For communications?" John offered.
"Yes – very good, Major," Rodney replied, wagged a finger and switched into lecture mode. "This was clearly meant to be an outpost of some sort. This is the first room we've come to and it has the look and feel or a laboratory or maybe a control room. This way they would be able to communicate with Atlantis if need be."
"Why wouldn't they just use the jumper?" Ford asked.
"Usually you have to be closer to activate the gate," McKay replied. "The docking bay would be too far away. Besides, why would you want to go all the way out to the jumper for communications? What if the jumper wasn't there? This DHD has special range."
No, 'maybe it has special range', no 'I'm guessing it has special range', just a good old Rodney McKay intuitive leap that said this DHD was different. John could find no reason to disagree with him. "Mystery solved then," he announced.
"Let's check the rest of this place out. Rodney, why don't you see if you can get into the database? Teyla, check out the rest of this room," he gestured toward the many consoles arranged around the room. "Ford, you're with me. We're going to find out where some of these doors lead."
The first door along the wall had a control panel of its own, much like the one outside of the large room, and it opened easily when John touched the panel. They stepped through into a small, dimly lit passageway. Light reflected from alcoves set on both sides of the passage, but the nearer alcove seemed to be set off from the rest. Because it was closer, John decided that he would explore that one first.
"I'll check this one," he told Ford, as he stepped inside and gestured ahead. "You get the next one."
"Yes, Sir." Ford moved off.
As he took another step inside of the alcove, John was immediately reminded of one of those booths that they used to have at the mall where kids would pile inside, feed it with money and pose while it snapped a steam of pictures. Only, this wasn't a sit-down booth, it was the stand up variety.
As he looked upward at the smooth metal walls he saw a familiar image engraved. It was the same one that had been outside of the door leading into the lab. It was the same one that he was half afraid to admit that he'd seen in his mind when he'd tried to gain entry into the docking bay. He reached upward, and ran his fingers over the surface of the raised marking, disturbed further by the hint of emotion it evoked in him. A feeling . . . kinship . . . a shadow of . . . .
He turned away abruptly, determined this time that he would get McKay to translate it. But at he spun, what he saw before him had him unconsciously bringing his P-90 up. His finger was pressing into the trigger when he caught himself, barely averting disaster.
"Ford!" he called to his comrade. "Get in here! McKay, Teyla, you, too!" He let his P-90 drop and moved closer to the transparent surface that was built into the wall, drawing back at the last minute before he touched it. On the opposite side of the clear glass enclosure was a man. His hair was longish blonde, and his lined features were gaunt, faintly emaciated.
"Is he dead?" Ford appeared suddenly behind him having squeezed into the space.
"What is it? Did you find something?" Rodney and Teyla skidded to a halt outside of the alcove before John had a chance to respond.
John drew out his life signs detector without removing his gaze from the man's frozen features. He moved it up to eye level to check its monitor. His heart skipped a beat at the dim new blip on the small screen. "I don't think so," he extended the life signs detector in the other man's direction. In the same moment there was the startling hiss of released air.
"Something is happening," Ford said, pointing at a portion of the wall that began to move outward, outlining a eight foot rectangle around the man. It swung toward them and John took a slow, careful step backward.
He watched in wide-eyed amazement as the door completed its arc, coming to a stop with a muted mechanical thunk. Time seemed suspended for the span of a heart beat while the man remained, fully exposed to their eyes except for a thinning swirling of mist. A deep shuddering breath broke the silence and then the man wilted forward.
John unconsciously took a protective step toward him, and managed to do little more than break his fall.
"This can't be good," was all that John could think to say as he struggled his way out from under the dead weight.
