SPOILERS: For Rising, at last! And only in the broadest sense.

A/N:

RAF – Royal Air Force

RAF Brize Norton is the largest military airbase in the UK, like an airport really.

Chapter 12

Carson entered the small room. He'd arrived at RAF Brize Norton by helicopter, having been picked up directly from Ardnamurchan. A young RAF officer had directed him to this room to await his onward flight to New Zealand that would see him one step closer to Antarctica.

He smiled nervously at the other man sitting in the room already. He had dark hair like himself, but with a swarthier complexion, and had a long, pleasant face. They nodded to each other, as Carson sat down opposite him.

The door opened, and an officer, in a peaked hat, eyed them both, "All right gentlemen? I'm just going to get organised, someone will pop back to get you in a few minutes. I hear you're final destination is McMurdo – hope you've remembered your thermals!"

Carson and the other man smiled at each other as the door closed.

"Em, I'm Carson Beckett. I suppose we're going to the same place?"

"Grodin, Peter Grodin. How do you do. It would appear so." Grodin was thoughtful for a moment. He was expecting this additional passenger. "Did you get the visit from MI5?"

Carson grinned. "Aye. Scared the living daylights out of me! Thought they were going to arrest me or something."

"And I hear you were interviewed by General O'Neill himself. You're honoured."

"So I believe. Anyway, sounds like an interesting project. I'm a doctor by the way."

"So am I, but I assume you mean you are a medical doctor?" Peter's eyes twinkled.

"Eh? Oh, right. Yes, medical. You're a proper doctor then?" Carson's voice had a tiny tease in it.

"Absolutely! I'm more of an engineer, amongst other things."

Carson realised the man was not giving any more away, he was used to that. But the slim man with the kind voice did continue.

"I think you'll like working with us. There's never a dull day."

Carson felt some of his nervous anticipation melting. "Right. Good. I like to keep busy."

The door burst open, and a burly airman burst in, rubbing his hands. "OK, gentlemen. Your carriage awaits."

Carson and Peter exchanged excited smiles, and they got up quickly.

0o0o0

He looked over the railing at the blue shaft descending deep into the ice. He looked up at the cable mechanisms, black and menacing above the huge hole. Carson blinked hard, and looked at the petite woman standing next to him. She was wearing a grey and yellow jacket, similar to the one Carson had put on for the first time today, straight from it's polythene wrapper.

"We have to go down there?"

She nodded, smiling. "They're sending the cage up for us. Dr Weir said she'd meet us in the medical area."

He noticed his heart pounding, and swallowed hard. "Right."

He almost jumped when the huge gears above him started up, and cables began roaring in front of him. The cold wind from the coming cage blasted his existing goosebumps.

She undid the restraining gate, and stepped into the cage. "Don't worry, it won't break."

Carson lifted an eyebrow. "Aye, and how can you be so sure? You've never been in a lift with me before, have you?"

The nurse eyed him suspiciously as they got in, but only saw a slightly nervous man that had been extremely pleasant to show around so far. She watched him screw his eyes shut and hold his breath as the cage descended into the depths.

They reached the bottom without a hitch, and the nurse heard her new boss exhale as they stepped down into the main cavern. It caused her to smile. She let him look around in awe, as she had done on her first descent.

"Come on, it's this way." She touched his arm gently, and he looked at her, realising he had been lost for a moment.

"Right lass. Lead on, Macduff." He shrugged off his fear and took on the thrill of the unexplored, his grin broad and genuine.

Carson could hear the shouting as he followed his new colleague through the strange metallic chambers of the outpost.

"When will you people get somebody who actually knows what they are doing?"

The nurse glanced over her shoulder and commented, "Not again! Dr McKay won't leave us alone. He visits every day with some complaint or other. I wish he'd develop a real disease, no, scratch that, I take it back, then we'd have to keep him." She was still muttering as they entered the medical area.

A Canadian with an orange fleece zipped up to his chin was waving his arms at the young man before him.

"Don't you have any glucose tablets, at least?"

"Is there a problem?" Carson deposited his bag in a corner, and approached the pair.

Rodney turned to face the Scotsman who had just arrived, his mouth open in surprise that anyone would interrupt him.

Carson held out his hand, "I'm Doctor Beckett. Can I help?"

Rodney sighed and visibly relaxed, "At last. A doctor. Well, a medic, anyway? Can you tell this…assistant…that I need my blood glucose tested? I might be having a hypo!" As an afterthought, he thrust out his hand and pumped Carson's vigorously.

Carson thought McKay looked distinctly hyper, but refrained from saying so.

"It's all right, son, I'll deal with this." Carson gave his new young colleague an excuse to scarper.

Ten minutes later, Carson had a much happier and positively glowing McKay recounting the details of the expedition so far. He enjoyed hearing the enthusiastic astrophysicist explaining the goals and hopes for the Ancient outpost. McKay had a confidence in his pursuit, and it wasn't just the obvious ego. As if he had found something worth working on. Carson was sorry when the fidgeting Canadian declared he had work to do, and disappeared. The Scotsman looked around his new domain, and set about making things ship shape.

A/N: Two chapters to go, can't miss certain significant events before we get to Atlantis, can we...?