The Puppet Master

Chapter Eighteen - Apriori Arguments

The room was unusually crowded. Weir sat in the centre, as usual, a picture of control. Carson sat to her left, looking nervous and uncomfortable, shadows beneath his eyes. Sheppard had insisted upon the presence of Teyla and Ford, who had been waiting outside the infirmary with an impatient Zelenka. To his distaste, Heightmeyer sat beside the Czech, still holding her notebook.

He confronted Elizabeth over the psychologist's presence, to little success.

"Do we need her here?"

He was aware of Kate shifting in her seat uncomfortably, and almost felt bad for her. Almost. The memory of McKay chained to an infirmary bed was too fresh. The idea of them having done this to the physicist and being wrong, too terrible to think of.

"Now more than ever, Major." Elizabeth's voice was a roughly edged hush. "We need to determine what is best for Rodney."

"Getting this damn alien out of his head!"

Heightmeyer had already started shaking her head. "I don't see how it's even possible, Major. We're not talking about the transfer of computer data here. The human mind is an incredibly complex thing, and it's dynamic energy, something that cannot be captured in any form of mechanical device."

"How can you be sure?" he challenged. "A year ago I'd have told you that travelling to another galaxy was impossible, but here we are. This universe contains some pretty amazing things."

Gently: "Major…"

"No." He turned to her, forcefully. "Elizabeth, I realise what I'm saying is real science-fiction here, but I also know that one of the smartest guys in this entire galaxy is strapped to a bed in that room telling me that it's possible!"

Beckett winced. "Major, McKay's not exactly been the most coherent person these past few days."

"I know." Sheppard took a breath, released it slowly. "I know that, doc'. But for the first time in a week I've felt like the guy I've been talking to has been the same guy I've known since Antarctica. For once, Rodney sounded like Rodney."

"And then he attacked Doctor Beckett," Heightmeyer said, stiffly.

"This Kezan did," he snapped. Glanced towards Weir. "Come on, Elizabeth. This is McKay, we're talking about. He'd never intentionally hurt another member of this expedition."

"No." Elizabeth's fingers were slowly rubbing the wound on her neck. "Not intentionally."

"Which just proves that McKay isn't in control."

"But not by what means." She sighed, dropping her hands to the table. "Major, believe me, I would love for there to be an alternative explanation." Her gaze flicked downwards, and for a moment Sheppard could see pain in her eyes, a sense of vulnerable hurt. "The person who attacked me was not the Rodney McKay I know." Then back up, the mask firmly in place: "But my duty to this city means that I must be certain of any conclusion before taking action on it."

He drew a hand through his hair, ruffling unruly spikes. "I know." Paused. "Look, if I'm wrong, then we can go back to doping him and locking him up. But if I'm right, and we do nothing…." He stopped, again draw back to the memory of McKay huddled on the floor of the cell, deliberately cutting into the skin of his own hand.

Weir had pressed her lips into a thin line, her head ducked, obviously thinking along the same path. After a moment she looked up and across at Beckett, her shoulders stiff, eyes impossible to read. "Is it even remotely possible, Carson?"

He was already shaking his head doubtfully. "I don't see how."

Sheppard turned to Teyla, hopeful. "Heard of anything like this?"

The Athosian shook her head, slowly. "I am sorry, Major. Nothing of this nature has ever been heard of by my people. I find it hard to believe that one body could contain the minds of others."

"There may be a more medically based explanation," Kate broke in. "The possibility of Dissociative Identity Disorder."

"Multiple personality disorder," Carson explained, glancing at Kate. "But I wouldn't be so quick to make the diagnosis."

"Nevertheless," she continued, focussing her gaze on Weir, "it's a real possibility, particularly given that it's closely related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The deaths of Drs Gaul and Abrahm, the effects of the nanovirus -"

"Which we've discussed before," Carson broke in, his voice tinged with nervousness.

The knot in Sheppard's shoulders was growing with painful intensity. Snapped: "You're just worried that your original diagnosis will be wrong, that you've shut him up in that cell for the wrong reasons."

Kate visibly paled, and he suddenly regretted his words. "I realise you're concerned for Dr McKay," she said, her voice tight, "but you have to understand I'm approaching this from a medical view, Major. The symptoms fit the explanation."

"I thought doctors weren't supposed to have apriori theories," he shot back. "You choose a conclusion then pick the circumstances to fit."

"Major!" Elizabeth had pushed her seat back, her back ramrod straight and her eyes glaring at Sheppard. "May I remind you that at this stage there is no definitive explanation behind Dr McKay's actions. Dr Heightmeyer has her theory, and you have yours. It's a matter of deciding who is right. Now," and she sat forward, directing her comments at the table, "if we could state what we do know."

Sheppard forced himself to take a deep breath, reigning in his anger. "We know this started after the mission to M4P-278."

"Not necessarily," Kate broke in, still pale, but determined.

"Fine," he returned, aware of his voice sounding hard. "Then it accelerated after the mission." He turned to Weir. "Hasn't the SGC experienced anything like this before?"

Weir frowned, folding her hands neatly on the table top. "I've read as many of their past mission reports as I had the time to, Major. But I don't remember anything of this nature."

"There was that mind swap thing," Ford said, suddenly. He became the object of five stares, and shuffled. "I wasn't there for the details, but it was talked about on base, one of those SG-1 legends, you know?"

"A mind swapping device?" Teyla prompted, frowning.

"Yeah." Ford hesitated, anxious over the details. "SG-1 met this alien inventor guy on a planet and he tricked Doctor Jackson into touching one of his machines. Next thing you know, this alien was walking around in Doctor Jackson's body while Jackson was in the infirmary trapped in the alien's."

Zelenka, his presence forgotten by Sheppard, suddenly spoke up from his end of the table. "A machine was able to do this?"

Ford nodded eagerly. "Yeah. I guess it's in Area 51 now." He shrugged, helplessly. "I can't remember a lot about it, but it'll be in the records."

"But is not Dr McKay sharing his mind with that of the alien?" Teyla asked. "The two of them within one?"

"So he claims," Carson said. He looked tired, fresh lines edging his eyes and mouth. "I wouldn't have said even swapping minds between bodies was possible, but sharing them?"

"Could you test for that?"

"I could do a PET scan," he admitted, then paused. Added, with great reluctance: "I'm not sure what that would prove. I'm not even sure what I should be looking for."

"But it would have to show up?" Ford asked.

Carson splayed his hands against the table helplessly. "I don't know, lad. Two brainwaves in one brain? I would guess that something would show up but to be honest, this is outside my area of expertise. I might see nothing, particularly if McKay is completely subdued by Kezan."

"Except after experiencing the shock of the forcefield," Teyla put in.

"Aye, true. It's something to be considered." Another worried frown. "Of course, if nothing shows up…"

"Then it supports the idea that this 'Kezan' is part of McKay's delusion," Kate finished.

"In either case." Elizabeth continued, "I have to be concerned for Rodney's safety, and the security of the city."

"Restraints?" Teyla asked, concerned.

"I hope it won't come to that."

Sheppard's jaw clenched uncomfortably. "You're keeping McKay in the cell?"

She looked apologetic, but firm. "I know this is difficult, Major, but it's the best thing for Rodney. Whatever the cause of his condition."

"If Doctor McKay can hear us," Teyla said, thoughtfully, "Could we not tell him we're trying to help him?"

Elizabeth was already shaking her head. "If it's the case that Rodney is sharing his mind with someone else then we need to keep this amongst us. There can't be any hint that we're treating this as anything other than a medical illness in case this Kezan finds out. We have no way of knowing what he's capable of doing to Rodney."

Sheppard shivered. It was something he'd considered, the question of what McKay was experiencing, trapped in his own body, and whether Kezan could do real harm to the scientist's own mind. Whether Kezan could wipe the physicist out completely.

Aiden was looking in alarm at Carson, evidently in more surprise than Sheppard. "You think he could harm McKay?"

"No idea," Carson answered, adding quickly: "And I wouldn't like to guess either way. Elizabeth is right, we have to hide this from him as best we can."

Weir sighed, deeply. "We also need to look at causes. Major, you saw nothing on the planet that would help us?"

He shrugged. "The place was in ruins. McKay said it was probably used as some lab but the equipment was too badly damaged to be salvable."

"And no indications as to the race who built it?"

Another shift of his shoulders. "It wasn't Wraith or Ancient. And whoever it was, they abandoned it hundreds of years ago."

There was a sudden flurry of Czech from the other end of the table. "The device," Zelenka burbled, excitedly. "The, ah, object from M4P-278. Rodney said it is responsible for his current state, yes? Major Sheppard, you did not pick it up?"

Sheppard frowned, glancing from Ford and Teyla to the Czech. "No. McKay's the only one who touched it."

"Ah, yes, Rodney, he is possessive about his finds. No one may come near until he has decided on its lack of interest." He clucked disapprovingly. "I tell him he is selfish. I am sure, as a child, he never shared his toys."

"I thought you had no clear idea of what the device did," Elizabeth interjected, neatly cutting Radek off mid-babble. "If the device had this power wouldn't that be clearer? And weren't you working on it with Dr McKay? You must have handled the device yourself."

"True, yes, but –" and Zelenka held one, slightly trembling finger up in the air, "I have a theory." Then he dropped his hand, muttering to himself. "Only a theory. But it makes sense – more, certainly, than the alternative – and yet –" He lifted his head and looked resolutely at Weir. "I request permission to return to my lab, accompanied by Major Sheppard."

Sheppard could see Elizabeth's eyebrows raise in an echo of his own. "Then you believe there may be something in Rodney's claim that the device did this to him?"

Zelenka nodded, his head bobbing up and down furiously. "Yes. Possibly. It is worth looking, no?"

Sheppard shifted in his seat, suddenly feeling a glimmer of hope. "Permission to leave?" he said, forcing himself to be formal.

Elizabeth looked at him, and nodded. "Permission granted."

Zelenka was on his feet immediately, not waiting for Sheppard to follow as he rushed out of the door. John rose quickly, and with an apologetic wave to Elizabeth he was out in the corridor, chasing after the scientist. He was aware of voices behind him, of Heightmeyer once again raising her concerns but he shut the sounds out, running after the Czech as he scurried along the corridor.

"Woah, hold up! Mind telling me what this theory of yours is?"

Zelenka was striding down the corridor at speed, heedless of the strange looks he was getting from passersby. His hand gesticulated as he talked, and he frequently lapsed into Czech, words overlapping each other. "The place on the planet, it looked like a laboratory, correct?"

"Long abandoned," Sheppard objected.

"As was this city, Major. Time means nothing."

"But it was ruined. McKay said it would be a wasted effort trying to power up the computer. If we'd gone any further the ceiling might have collapsed."

"But he saw this device," Zelenka said, turning a corner so quickly he almost walked into a wall. "The only one not damaged."

"You think this was a deliberate trap?" Sheppard guessed, mouth dry.

Two fingers snapped irritably. "No, an accident. But it seems odd, no, that Rodney starts behaving so strangely after his contact with this device. He talks of himself as though – just as you said, Major, as though McKay is not himself. As though he is someone else. And this device, used for data storage," he dissolved into more mutters, picking up his pace and not slowing even when they reached the entrance to McKay's lab.

The doors opened just in time to stop the Czech from walking into them. He strode over to McKay's laptop, where it sat on a bench, the spinning logo of Atlantis displayed on its screen. Zelenka swiped at the mouse and the screensaver disappeared, replaced by a log-in box. The scientist's hands flew over the keyboard and a second later the box was replaced by the familiar Stargate OS.

Sheppard whistled appreciatively. "You know McKay's passwords?"

"Mm," came back the non-committal response, Zelenka concentrating on his search of McKay's hard drive.

"I think I've underestimated you."

"Quite probably. Ah!" He uttered a short, satisfied exclamation, having apparently found what he was looking for. Pushing himself away from the desk he trotted across to a door adjoining the lab. "Our storage room," he said, by way of an explanation, punching a short code into the lock beside the door. It opened obediently, and Sheppard followed the Czech in.

They were surrounded by the Atlantean version of filing cabinets, alien but no more interesting. Tall, featureless white cabinets with a number of drawers and shelves. About a third of the surfaces contained some kind of object – McKay's personal shield, a life-signs detector, even a Wraith stunner stood leaning against a wall, though it was damaged beyond repair. Each bore a neat little label in a handwriting other than McKay's, and tied on with string.

Zelenka was muttering beneath his breath as he scanned row after row of objects. Uttering a small, triumphant noise his hand closed on a drawer, two down and three across, pulling it open.

His expression immediately dropped away into one of shock, and Sheppard heard him curse. "Of course. I should have guessed."

"What?" he asked, moving to stand beside the Czech. "Is it missing?"

"No," Zelenka said, bitterly. "It is there. Every piece of it."

Sheppard, with a growing sense of dread, leant over the drawer to peer inside. On a rectangular metal tray sat the device – or rather, the parts of it. Metal squares, wires, unidentifiable chips of silver. Only then did he remember the jigsaw of technology McKay had been disassembling earlier, and from what Sheppard could tell, the physicist had done a good job of it. There was even a white label tied to one of the pieces.

The room and its contents dropping away, his insides knitting in apprehension of the answer he knew he would receive, Sheppard asked: "Can you fix it?"

Zelenka raised his head, looking miserable. "No, Major. I will never be able to put that back together again. I have no idea of where to even begin."