Chapter Three – Secrets Revealed
It had been two weeks since Alora arrived in the city and everyone outside Dr. Weir and the others at that first meeting believed she was a scientist dropped off the last time the Daedelus visited. None of the other scientists questioned that Rodney suddenly found the information and equipment needed to create ZPM's. The hardest part turned out to be having to intentionally make mistakes so that they didn't arouse suspicion. While most of the materials needed existed on the same planet as the floating city, there was one key element that did not. Alora gave the address of the planet to Dr. Weir and was very disappointed when she wasn't permitted to join Colonel Shepherd's team to locate the element. Alora didn't like the argument that she was too valuable to loose if something unexpected happened on the planet, but she did have to agree that it would be unusual for a physicist to be joining the mission when Dr. McKay was already going.
"There is something I haven't had a chance to ask you about," Dr. Weir said from behind her desk.
"What's that?" Alora asked as she sat across from the other woman with a cup of hot cocoa in her hands.
"I'm a little confused about the timeline, can you lay it out for me?" Dr. Weir asked.
Alora smiled and took a sip of her cocoa before answering, "We evolved in a different galaxy, not here and not Earth's. We conquered intergalactic travel and ended up in what you call the Milky Way. We found many planets remarkably similar to our home world throughout different stages of our evolution. We established colonies and research stations and the stargate system. Then we found it, a world that had just experienced a massive extinction and we seized the opportunity to begin our most ambitions experiment, to create life as we had designed it. And it worked."
"Earth," Dr. Weir stated.
"Yes," Alora confirmed, "After the initial stage of the experiment we sat back to watch it evolve. But we didn't sit back and do nothing during this time, we focused our attention on our own evolution. Genetic disorders and disease still plagued our people. Our efforts to eliminate these problems led to our own demise. A mutation of a relatively harmless childhood disease proved incredibly deadly and over 80 of our population succumbed to it within one year. Our one salvation was that 10 of our population survived, having a previously unknown genetic immunity to the disease. Fearing that the disease would mutate again and wipe out the survivors, our entire population in the Milky Way converged on Atlantis and departed for this galaxy."
"What about the humans on Earth?" Dr. Weir asked.
"While our genetic makeup was used as a blueprint to create theirs, they did not have the genes that made them susceptible to the disease. They were all immune." Alora answered.
"So you came here and seeded life in this galaxy using what you had learned on Earth," Dr. Weir said.
"Yes," Alora said, "Then the Wraith happened and we evacuated to Earth when we knew we couldn't win. Our population could never recover from the losses, there wasn't enough genetic diversity to sustain our species, and since the humans of Earth were genetically compatible we implemented a long term plan. By passing on our genetic traits, we hoped that one day the humans of Earth would evolve to a point where they could reclaim our place in the galaxies."
"The Goa'uld interrupted that plan," Dr. Weir added.
"Yes," Alora said, "But they almost put it back on track by allowing their technology to be studied by Stargate Command. With what they learned, they were able to leap forward several stages in technology."
Just as Dr. Weir opened her mouth to speak again, the technician at the gate control console called out an alert that there was unscheduled off-world activation. Alora and Dr. Weir raced to the control room as the technician called out that it was Colonel Shepherd's signal, they were early. The shield was dropped and Shepherd's team came running through, first Dr. McKay, then Teyla and Lieutenant Ford with Colonel Shepherd bringing up the rear. Shepherd had just stepped completely through the event horizon and the technician was about to raise the shield when a tiny ripple indicated that something had followed them. The gate snapped shut and everyone turned to Colonel Shepherd for an explanation. He had a blank look on his face and his hand went up to his chest.
"John!" Alora cried then raced down to the railing above the gateroom and leaped over as if it were a chain-link fence.
She landed heavily on her feet as everyone watched Colonel Shepherd fall to his knees. Suddenly multiple things happened at once, Dr. Weir called for a medical team, McKay and the others knelt down next to their team leader and Alora raced to his side.
"Move! Let me by!" Alora yelled in a tone that was not to be disobeyed.
Teyla and Ford had already ripped off Shepherd's vest and outer shirt when Alora was suddenly kneeling on the other side of him.
"Step back!" Alora commanded as she reached down and ripped open his black t-shirt to reveal the hole from the projectile that had pierced his vest before tearing through his lung.
Alora held her open hands out over his chest and closed her eyes in concentration. Dr. Beckett's team, followed by Dr. Weir, had arrived and pushed past the Colonel's team. Dr. Weir grabbed Carson's arm to hold him back when she saw Alora's hands. A golden glow emanated from her hands and a look of peace covered her face. After several moments the glow faded and Alora pulled her hands back. Where a bloody wound had been was now unblemished skin.
"He will be fine," Alora whispered breathlessly as Carson kneeled down next to the Colonel.
No sooner had she finished her words than her eyes slid shut and she slumped before collapsing to the floor next to Colonel Shepherd. Carson was checking the Colonel's vitals when he saw Alora go down. He continued his work and began barking orders to his staff. Soon the medical staff had Colonel Shepherd loaded on the gurney and was whisking him to the infirmary while Dr. Beckett checked on Alora.
"Is she…?" Dr. Weir asked.
"Her pulse is a little weak and her respiration's a little shallow for my tastes, I won't know more til I run some tests," Dr. Beckett answered as a gurney arrived for Alora, "But Colonel Shepherd appears to be doing just fine. I'll know more in about an hour."
"Alright, keep me informed," Dr. Weir said then turned to the rest of Colonel Shepherd's team, "Get cleaned up and checked out, we'll debrief in an hour."
Dr. Weir turned to walk back up to the Control Room when a glint of metal on the floor caught her eye. She bent down and picked up the small object. Its original form was now indistinguishable, but the spots of crimson told her exactly what it was.
An hour later Dr. Weir entered the conference room and was soon joined by Teyla, Ford, Rodney and Dr. Beckett.
"How are Colonel Shepherd and Alora, Dr. Beckett?" Dr. Weir asked.
"Colonel Shepherd is fine, all tests are normal and there's no sign of any damage from the bullet. His body's just recovering from the shock to his system, the human body wasn't meant to heal that fast." Dr. Beckett reported, "Miss Valeran on the other hand, I'm not 100 sure how she is. Her whole body is in some kind of light coma, other than the odd results of her electrolyte test there seems to be nothing wrong with her."
"Could she be sick like Aiyanna?" Dr. Weir asked.
"No, there were no detectable pathogens. Based on Dr. Fraiser's report from the incident, I believe Alora has been seriously weakened by healing Colonel Shepherd but is not a carrier of the disease. If she was, it would have shown up before now." Dr. Beckett answered.
"Any idea when Colonel Shepherd might wake up?" Dr. Weir asked.
"Should be soon and he'll probably be discharged right away," Dr. Beckett answered.
"Good, I've spent enough time in that infirmary," Colonel Shepherd's voice came as the louvered doors swung open.
"Colonel, you really shouldn't be out of bed yet," Dr. Beckett said as Shepherd took a seat at the table.
"I feel fine, better than fine," Shepherd argued. "And you were going to release me anyway."
"You can stay for now Colonel, but if Dr. Beckett thinks for a second that you need medical attention, you will follow his orders to the letter. Am I understood?" Dr. Weir said forcefully.
"Yes ma'am," Shepherd said.
For the next hour Colonel Shepherd and his team recounted their most recent mission. The natives were slightly more advanced than the Genii and paranoid. It didn't take long for them to make it clear that they weren't willing to trade for the ore and the team would have safely returned if McKay hadn't opened his mouth. One muttered phrase about ungrateful morons and the local military was on their tails. A lucky parting shot by one of the pursuers caught Colonel Shepherd on the other side of the event horizon. Dr. Weir concluded their debriefing and dismissed everyone to their individual tasks. She accompanied Dr. Beckett to the infirmary to check on Alora's status.
"I guess we won't be able to keep her secret any longer," Dr. Weir commented as they entered the infirmary.
"Probably not," Dr. Beckett agreed.
Beckett stepped over to confer with one of the nurses as Dr. Weir approached Alora's gurney. She looked down at the woman and leaned closer when she thought she saw Alora's eyes flutter.
"Carson." Dr. Weir called.
As Dr. Beckett stepped up to the gurney Alora's eyes opened partially and she held his eyes with her own.
"Alora, can you hear me dear?" Dr. Beckett asked soothingly, "I don't know enough about your physiology. What can I do for you?"
"Electrolyte drip," Alora whispered coarsely.
Dr. Beckett turned to give the order while Elizabeth leaned closer, "Thank you for helping Colonel Shepherd, but you shouldn't have put yourself in danger."
Alora locked eyes with Elizabeth and managed to respond before consciousness left her, "I wasn't going to fail him again."