As usual, Elizabeth could hear them even before she saw them. She entered the briefing room to find Rodney and Zelenka in the middle of yet another argument. Someone who didn't know them might think that they couldn't stand each other. And yet she knew that Zelenka was the only person that Rodney would grudgingly admit was "remotely competent."
"Rodney, I am telling you that the jumper is done. And is not just good enough for government work, either."
"Did you check the -- ?"
"Yes."
"You don't even know what I was going to say!"
"It does not matter. I checked everything. I wrote checklist, remember?"
"Yes, yes, but I still think you should..."
Elizabeth took that moment to break into the argument. "Am I interrupting anything important?"
Zelenka snorted. "Important? No. Obsessive-compulsive and annoying? Yes."
"You should talk!"
"Me? What do I do that is obsessive compulsive? Compared to you, I am cool cucumber."
Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Gentlemen, can you possibly go for more than a few minutes without bickering?"
"Probably not," said John as he and Teyla joined the others in the briefing room.
"Thank you, Major, for your enlightened opinion!"
"And good afternoon to you too, McKay." John grinned and sat down at the table.
Before John, Rodney, or Zelenka could say anything else, Elizabeth began the briefing. John zoned out while Rodney and Zelenka explained the physics of hurricane formation, but refocused quickly when Rodney proclaimed that the megastorm was headed right towards the city. Elizabeth looked nervous and asked, "You just said the Ancients experienced these storms every twenty to thirty years. Atlantis must have some sort of precautions put in place?"
"In the past, the Ancients have been protected by the shield or submerged deep enough in the water not to be affected." Rodney replied.
John asked the scientists what other options they had, but was not pleased by Zelenka's response. "Nothing. It is a real threat. The high winds alone will wreak havoc."
Give me a break, thought John. "C'mon guys! This city's been around for a long time."
"Storm surge is inevitable," said Zelenka solemnly.
"Not to mention the fact that by moving over a landmass just before hitting us, the likelihood of tornadoes and electrical activity is greatly increased." Rodney pointed out.
John couldn't believe what he was hearing. Surely a city this technologically advanced could protect itself against a hurricane! He said as much to Rodney.
"The people who built this city knew they had a forcefield capable of holding back anything Mother Nature or, for that matter, the Wraith could throw at them. Without that protection, Atlantis is remarkably fragile."
"Even our conservative calculations project widespread structural damage," said Zelenka.
"Flooding could sink the city entirely," Rodney pointed out.
Ford's eyes seemed to be glazing over at all the technobabble. "How could something as big as Atlantis just sink?" he demanded.
John rolled his eyes at that. "I'm sure the passengers on the Titanic were asking themselves the same question!"
Rodney looked slightly ill. "Well, let's not!"
Elizabeth eventually moved to wrap up the briefing. "All right, what's the plan?" she asked, looking like she was afraid to hear the answer.
Unfortunately, Rodney had no quick response. "By my calculations we have just under, what, twelve hours until the storm hits, so, uh, we plan to have a plan by then."
"Great," Elizabeth muttered under her breath. "OK. Rodney, you and Dr. Zelenka develop your plan. John, you need to find a place where we can evacuate if the worst happens."
"What about the Athosians?" asked Zelenka. "They will be utterly defenseless on the mainland."
"Damn, you're right. Ford, you and Teyla need to fly to the settlement to convince them to evacuate. We'll send as many other jumpers with you as possible." She stopped, as Ford was starting to look apprehensive. "What?"
"Ma'am, who's going to pilot our jumper? I don't have the gene yet."
"Carson's probably your best bet." Seeing Ford's grimace, she put her hands on her hips. "Look, I realize he's a little inexperienced. But this should be a straightforward back and forth trip. You'll be home long before the storm hits."
"At least jumper is working perfectly," said Zelenka smugly.
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John and Rodney went to find Carson in the infirmary. He had been unable to attend the briefing due to a minor accident involving several of the scientists. On the way John wondered what had happened with Pete. However, when he heard the sounds coming from the infirmary he realized he needn't have worried.
Rodney stopped dead in his tracks. "Do I hear barking?" he asked incredulously.
"What barking?" John deadpanned. Suddenly Pete ran past them in a brown and white blur, obviously trying to make a break for it again. With his finely honed pilot's reflexes, John managed to snag the puppy as it was running by. He then found himself having to fend off the dog's eager greeting.
"That barking," Rodney said dryly.
"Oh, you mean that barking. This is Pete. Pete is Jinto's dog, here for a visit." Rodney gave John a look that clearly said he was nuts. "Forget it, you don't want to know. Hey, doc! You've got another runaway!"
Carson appeared in the hallway with them. "What the... How in hell did he get out?" The three men found their answer when they walked back into the infirmary. The door of the crate in which Pete had been placed was open, and from the look of things the dog had used his prehensile tail to lift the latch. John and Carson looked at Pete with newfound respect; Rodney just continued to gape.
"Hmm, this guy would handy to have around for my own jailbreaks," John mused.
"Major, you're already a very bad influence on all my patients. You've almost hopelessly corrupted young Ford. Now you want to lead Pete astray, too?"
Rodney spoke up for the first time. "Carson, did you say 'patient'?" The Scot did not reply, but started to turn red. Inwardly, he began counting the seconds until Rodney came up with some smartass remark. He never even made it to three.
A slow smile crept across Rodney's face. "I had no idea you were a veterinarian, too. Although that does explain a lot."
In a deceptively mild tone of voice, Carson asked, "And just what exactly would it explain, lad?" The gleam in his blue eyes promised Rodney many uncomfortable moments if he didn't tread cautiously.
Rodney, of course, was oblivious to the danger he was in. "Hello, does 'Captain Untouchable' ring any bells here? Your bedside manner needs a ton of work!"
Fortunately, John interrupted and prevented the conversation from deteriorating any further. "Rodney. Storm, remember? Death and destruction and all that."
"Actually, Major, I had quite forgotten. Thank you so much for reminding me of our potential doom!"
Carson was rapidly losing patience. "What are ye both haverin' on about? And do you have to do it here?"
"You're not going to like this," said John. "We've got a bit of an emergency. There's a superhurricane headed for the city and we don't have the shield for protection. If McKay and Zelenka don't come up with something, we're toast."
"That's very disturbing. But what does it have to do with me?"
John leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. "That's the part you're not going to like. Rodney and Zelenka need to stay here and pull something brilliant out of their asses. I'm going to visit some of our allies to find a sofa for all of us to crash on if there's no other choice. And we need all available pilots to help evacuate the Athosians on the mainland."
Carson's face turned several shades paler. "You mean me? They'd be better off taking their chances with the storm!"
"Come on, you're exaggerating. You're not such a bad pilot," John cajoled.
"Major, the last time we flew together you said, and I quote, 'You must have taken driving lessons from Chewbacca the Wookiee'."
"Did I say that out loud?" John grimaced as Carson glared at him. "Yeah, I guess I did. Well, forget I said it. You're at least as good a pilot as that guy in the movie Airplane."
"Surely, you must be joking," Rodney couldn't resist adding. "He isn't even over Macho Grande!" It was John's turn to fix Rodney with a look that promised dire consequences if he didn't shut up.
"Major, I really don't think this is such a good idea," Carson said nervously.
"No choice, Doc."
"All right. But I don't want some jumper-chasing attorney coming after me if I crash!"
"Good man. No one will sue you. Somehow, I don't think the Athosians even know what a personal injury lawsuit is." The physician didn't look very reassured.
John turned to leave, then realized he was still holding Pete. "What should I do with him?"
Carson sighed. "I'll give him back to Jinto before I head to the jumper bay. Now get out of here before I start thinking about interesting things to do on your post-mission physicals."
John and Rodney left the infirmary with unseemly haste.
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Pete was confused. He had napped and awoken with a desire to do more exploring. He'd almost managed to sneak away again, but had been snatched up by one of the two-legged creatures, the one with the strange spiky fur on the top of his head. But instead of returning him to his crate, the two-legged guy had stood around and yelled at two other two-legged guys. One of them was the man with gentle hands who'd healed his leg. It was the other one that confused him, the one that almost seemed to vibrate with intensity. This man snapped and bristled, yet his scent held no animosity. Rather, it proclaimed that he considered the others his pack brothers. Pete decided that the two-legged creatures were just weird by nature.
Whoops! With a speed that made Pete dizzy, the spiky-haired guy handed him to the healer. Then the spiky-haired guy and the intense guy left. The healer shook his head as he watched them go, muttering something about being a medical doctor, not a taxi service.
Pete looked soulfully at the healer, hoping to convince him to put him back down on the ground. Pete really wanted to find the intense two-legged guy again. He was intrigued by him.
But the healer wasn't buying the act. "Oh no, lad. Don't you be giving me those puppy-dog eyes. I won't have it. I'm keeping you where I can see you." The healer snagged a few blankets in his free hand, then entered a room off to the side. The room was an utter mess. Papers and books were everywhere, and a large, cluttered desk stood in the center.
Pete watched as the healer arranged the blankets in one corner and then deposited him on them. He settled down to watch the proceeding as the man made preparations for something. Pete wasn't sure what was going on, but he hoped it would be fun. And he still wanted to find the intense two-legged guy.
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A/N
OK, so I lied. The whumping didn't really start this chapter. Don't worry, I'm getting to it.
Rhin Ariel: I want one, too. But my landlord won't let me. :-(
Emma: Yes, Zelenka definitely has an wicked sense of humor. (When I first saw "Siege 1", I actually thought he said 'You are a miserable little bastard.' I'm glad he didn't, since this just makes him funny without being mean.) As for the whumping, it won't be so bad. Just a little evilness of the Kolya kind.
NenyaVilyaNenya, Belisse: I'm really enjoying writing from Pete's point of view, since he's really a smart little guy. If you haven't already read them, read Neuropsych's "Jack and Jaffer" stories in the SG-1 section. Neuropsych does an even better job of writing from a dog's POV.
Alyssa: Many more to come!
Mae, gatelover313: Elizabeth's definitely a dog person, I agree. It's good to see her relax a little, don't you think? Especially given what's in store for her this episode! (And yes, I totally can't resist the ship.)
jennamagig: This is definitely AU. All of the things will happen that need to happen, but they're mixed up a little bit.
TBC (Please R&R, folks!) :-)