Chapter 3- Discourse

Rodney had been trying to open the door, but he had no luck. He was still trying to break into the panel.

"Any progress Rodney?" Major Sheppard asked, knowing the answer.

"The panel has to be used to open the door, but it looks like its activated by a valid palm-scan. I need to get into it, then I can activate the control."

"So that's a no?"

"No, that was a –not yet-"

"Well, hurry it up."
"I'm trying."

They sat in silence watching Rodney as he worked. Finally, the panel came loose. Behind it there were crystals in different shapes, but all flat and clear. Rodney continued to play with them, trying to open the door. Lt. Ford broke the silence.

"Any ideas what to do after we get out of here, Major?"

"I haven't figured that part out yet." He replied.

Continuing working and not turning around to look at them, Rodney broke in with "Even if we do get out of this room, we have no weapons, no gear, no GDO's, no radios... and we still need a way to power the Gate."

"Perhaps the woman Rodney saw could be willing to help. She simply could have been frightened by us." Teyla suggested.

At that moment, the door slid open.

"That's it, I got it!"

The major stood up and told everyone "Let's move."

The team mobilized and started heading to the door. Major Sheppard was the only one to make it a step out of the door when Anirul appeared, aiming her weapon that worked so well before at them. She was in her middle thirties, with below the shoulder way auburn hair, layered in the front. She was rather pretty and tall, standing at 5'8". She was wearing a short- sleeved, sky blue blouse and black pants.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.

"Out for a walk." Sheppard replied.

Off to the side, Lt. Ford asked "McKay, is that the woman?"
"I was passing out at the time, but yes that's her."

Anirul tried to act forceful and ordered the team back into the room. Once they had, she began her questioning.

"Who are you?"

"I am Major John Sheppard, he is Lieutenant Aiden Ford, Teyla Emmagan is beside him, and Dr. Rodney McKay is over there in the back."

Anirul was interested that one of these travelers was a Doctor, but of what?

"Dr. McKay, what are you a doctor of?"

"Astrophysics."

"Interesting, that is my branch of science also. I am Dr. Anirul Belacu."

It was strange; Anirul did not feel threatened by these people. There was something reassuring about them, especially the Major. There was something else about Teyla though that kept coming into her mind – familiarity. She did not know Teyla personally, but she felt as if she had seen her somewhere before. Without resolving the issue, Anirul pushed it out of her mind.

Major Sheppard wanted to get back to important issues.
"Dr. Belacu, why do you feel the need to keep us prisoner?"

"You are unknown people from another planet, would you not do the same if strangers came through the Avenue on your planet?"

The Major replied, "Well, that's not the point."

"Is that what you call the Stargate? The Avenue?"

"Dr. McKay, if you are referring to the Ancient transportation device, then yes. We call it the 'Avenue to the Stars'."

Rodney commented, "Long name, isn't it?" But Anirul glared at him and asked the team in general -

"You posses Ancient technology, where did you find it? On the planet where you live?"

Major Sheppard responded with a "Yes."

"Does it have a name?"
"Yes, does yours?"

Dr. Anirul Belacu got extremely annoyed at the way the questioning was going. She just wanted to know these people, but she could not blame them for keeping answers short. After all, she was keeping them locked in a room and aiming a weapon at them. She tried to explain herself.

"Okay, look. You have to understand my people are very private and wary of others, especially when they storm onto our planet, armed."

"Storm? I wouldn't call the four of us a 'storm'." Rodney chimed in.

Teyla actually had an answer to Anirul-
"Dr. Belacu, I have come to know these people. They have good hearts and will not harm the people of your planet. We are looking for allies against the Wraith."

"You are not of the same people as they are?"

"No I am not, I am Athosian."

Everything suddenly came together in Anirul's mind, Teyla looked familiar because she was Athosian, a leader if Anirul remembered correctly. She could not let on that she recognized Teyla though.

"Athosian, now we are getting somewhere. This planet is Tialys, Major, the name of yours is?"

"Our city is Atlantis. You might have heard of it."

Anirul was forced to stifle her excitement, had they actually come from the city of Atlantis? Either it was a very large bluff or it was the truth.

"You are serious? The city of Atlantis, lost city of the Ancients, they fled it 10,000 years ago to escape the Wraith?" Anirul managed to respond.

"So you have heard of it." The Major answered back.

Anirul replied, "Of course, who hasn't?"

"Good point."

Rodney was anxious to leave Tialys, but the way things were going it did not seem they would be anytime soon. "We would like to go back to Atlantis, so I you would just give us our gear, and a power source, we'll be on our way."

"I am afraid I cannot do that."

"Why not?" Rodney asked.

"You plan on using the power source to power the Ancient's…Stargate, correct?"

"Well, yes."

"That would not work."

"Why not?" now Rodney was getting even more annoyed.

"Because the slutac is not real, it is a replica of the real one in the city. We placed the replica there with the Ancient's Avenue to complete the experience in the reserve for the tourists. There is nothing you or anyone can do to make it work, and my government would like to…talk to you further. We will take you to the city, you can go home from there, but at least not until tomorrow."

Lt. Ford picked up on a point of Anirul's statement faster than the others. "The Stargate is out here, how could we go back to Atlantis from the city?"

"The original is out here, but we built one in the city. It is currently under enhancement."

Major Sheppard was as stunned as the rest of his team and was the only one who was able to say something. "You built a Stargate?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To improve upon it, which we did successfully."

All Rodney could get out was "Amazing, absolutely amazing."

Changing the subject, Anirul continued "I would like you all to know I will be recommending a friendship between our peoples, but at the moment you must remain in here until the First Minister is sure of you."

Being the smart aleck he is, McKay said, "We would just break out again."

"Do you honestly believe you opened the door?"

"Well, yes."

"You are mistaken Doctor, I did." Anirul put him in his place with a slight smile.

At that moment, Tom's voice came from a device strapped to the inside of Anirul's wrist. "Doctor, we are approaching."

Anirul brought the communicator close to her mouth and responded, "Good Tom, I will meet you outside." Then she lowered her wrist again.

"Who was that?" Major Sheppard asked.

"First Minister Tomas Brynisin."

"You call him Tom?"

"We are family." Anirul replied as she backed out of the door and closed it.

A/N: i think this chapter is sort of.. dull, its not my favorite,but trust me, it is a neccesary chapter. im typing up chap 4 right now, so hopefully it will be up before the night is over. thanks for the review Laura-trekkie