Chapter 8
"Welcome back scholar," the Archive purred in his ear. "What do you wish of me?"
Carson gathered himself. "Can you talk to you sister, the Pavilion of Acquirement?"
"Why? What has she done now?"
"Nothing, but we really need to know if she can be restarted," replied Carson politely.
"She is mad you know."
"Mad? Mad as in angry or mad as in insane?" Carson asked with just a hint of worry.
"Yes."
Carson opened his eyes and looked at Radek. "We're in big trouble."
After a little more communing with the Archive, he learned that the Pavilion of Acquirement was not fried at all.
"Pouting! It's acting like a petulant three year old child? A 10,000 or more year old sentient computer is pouting?" Rodney shouted skeptically. "You're kidding right? You must have misunderstood."
"No Dr. McKay, I did not misunderstand. And we are right in calling it a lunatic."
Rodney gaped in horror. "Oh no, no, no, no. We can't let that thing near us. I will just have to make Ford's libido and Teyla's graphic culling memories my own."
"Dr. Zelenka thinks he can link the two Pavilions so that the Archive can influence her sister. That might lessen the lunacy of the Pavilion of Acquirement, the Temple of the Protector or the HAL 9000; whichever you prefer to call the nutty thing," said Carson trying his best to encourage Rodney.
"That might work. They are connected; maybe we just need to say pretty please." The cogs in Rodney's mind were grinding away. "We need to tell the Major in his second of lucidity."
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He got the message. He also had an idea on how to pacify the nut job. A memory he had compartmentalized and locked away. He had wanted to keep this one all to himself. Seems he was going to have to share.
The channel shifting TV show started again. At least, he was able to stay separated from the memories for a while although fleeting. It was getting harder- when was the last time he had slept?
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Once again, Carson sat down in the chair.
"Will you be able to help us?"
"I believe so. She is so temperamental, always has been. It seems worse now. The caretaker who lived within my sister was unstable. They influenced each other, detrimentally of course. She took it upon herself to protect the rest of us before examining all the data."
"Can you convince her that we are not a threat?" Carson asked hoping for a resounding 'yes!'
"This I do not know. She saw something that made her irrational; made her…panic."
"We think we know the answer to that. Teyla has a special gift to sense the Wraith and Major Sheppard was bitten by a large arachnid type creature." Carson waited for the reply.
"That would explain her exuberance in deleting the anomaly. I will do my best."
"Thank you, again." Carson gave a mental smile.
"Anytime…What is your name?"
"Aach, sorry. Dr. Carson Beckett."
"Anytime Dr. Carson Beckett."
Carson's eyes shot open, as the sensation of a phantom hand grasping his thigh quickly faded.
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"Well golly gee Batman, I am so happy to be back here in the house of horrors," scoffed McKay looking up at the foreboding steps. "Hope your girlfriend can convince this big baby of a computer to stop its snit fit."
"I don't think it is wise to insult a machine that can fry your noodle," said Carson as he tapped the side of his head. "Plus, the Archive and I are just friends." Carson stalked off following the med techs pushing Sheppard's gurney.
"I was only joking," cringed McKay while checking the inside of the Pavilion.
They climbed the steps as Sheppard was carried on a backboard. Nothing was happening, no lights, no humming, nothing.
"OK, let's get into position. We need to be linked like before. The Archive has graciously allowed Dr. Kusinagi to use the chair so that Carson could be here to monitor us," explained Rodney.
Rodney, Aiden and Teyla gently helped John up from the litter. His body must have been aware on some level, because his legs tried to support some of his weight.
They hovered around the floor plate.
"Contact Dr. Kusinagi and let's see what some sisterly badgering can do," Rodney directed Dr. Simpson.
The Pavilion flickered, and then went dark again. On. Off. On. Off. It appeared as if a two year old child was playing with the light switch. Finally, the lights came on to stay.
"Dr. Kusinagi says now." Simpson relayed.
"Come on Sir, it's Homecoming," Aiden grunted as he and the team pushed Sheppard onto the dance floor.
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A/N: Thanks for the kind words and feedback. Please feel free to review.