Sheppard entered his quarters with a small coffee carafe and a sandwich, which he set next to the laptop on his desk. As the machine booted up, he shrugged off his vest, dropping it on the bed. Then he sat down and began to write his report on the previous day's search and this day's events. After the sandwich and half of the coffee were gone, he opened email and swore at the number of unopened, and therefore unread, reports in the inbox. This was one part of the job he truly disliked. Both he and Elizabeth read reports submitted by everyone from the quartermaster to the kitchen staff. And, there were many.
The mind-numbingly dry reports regarding ordnance and MREs were bad enough. It was the medical and psychological reports from Beckett and Kate Heightmeyer that really made him uncomfortable. He was fully aware it was necessary to know and understand the physical and mental status of his people, and how they were coping with the extraordinary circumstances of their lives and work. He was just glad that there were rarely many clinical details. That only happened in extreme cases.
He glanced at his watch and rubbed tired eyes. The reports would have to wait until tomorrow, after the meeting with his team leaders. Another task that was not high on his list of things that were fun.
A few minutes later, Sheppard headed out the door, dressed in t-shirt, track pants and sneakers. Not many more minutes after that, he was outside, running to the southwest pier. The cool night air was refreshing and went a long way to clearing his head. Maybe tonight he would be able to sleep without seeing the people of Namila.
McKay paused in the doorway of Elizabeth's office. He glared at Sheppard, who was sitting on a chair against the wall. "Here you are! I've been calling you for ten minutes!"
Sheppard, and Elizabeth, quickly hooked their transceivers on their ears.
"Hello, Rodney. It's nice to see you, too." Elizabeth frowned at him.
"Sorry." The physicist was ever so slightly abashed for a little more than a second. He dropped onto a chair in front of her desk and nodded toward Sheppard. "Did he tell you what happened last night?"
"I just got here, Rodney." There was a subtle warning in Sheppard's tone.
"Tell me what?" She looked at each of them.
"He almost got us killed, that's all!" McKay stared accusingly at the Colonel.
"What happened? Why didn't you tell me last night?" She raised her eyebrows at Sheppard.
Sheppard looked at McKay as a parent would an unruly child. "There was no danger. None of the drones were armed."
"Excuse me?" Elizabeth's mouth fell open in shock.
"How do you know?" McKay put his fists on his hips.
"It's a design lab, Rodney. There would be no reason for them to be armed. I seriously doubt the Ancients would be that stupid."
Elizabeth raised her voice. "Wait! Will one of you kindly tell me what happened?"
"Col. Sheppard here decided to activate one of the drones out there last night. He had it flying around the room." McKay continued to glare at Sheppard.
"Oh, please!" Sheppard rolled his eyes. "I turned it on, raised it a couple of inches off its stand, turned it around and set it down again. It was active for a total of about thirty seconds. There was no danger."
Elizabeth nodded in admiration.
"Don't encourage him!" McKay protested. "He could have lost control and caused all kinds of damage! Remember Antarctica?"
"That was Beckett, not me." Sheppard was trying to remain patient.
"Are you sure there was no danger?" She watched Sheppard closely and accepted his silent response.
McKay was clearly not in the mood to do the same. He almost sneered. "Oh, it's all just too easy for you, isn't it?"
Startled by the question, the Colonel didn't answer.
"Rodney!" Elizabeth was indignant.
"It's okay." Sheppard looked from Elizabeth to McKay. His voice was even. "Yes, Rodney, it is. But, you knew that. What the hell is wrong?"
"Why haven't you found any of this before now?" The question was both an accusation and a plea. The scientist's resentment suddenly evaporated. He gazed at his hands in self pity. "You barely have to be conscious and this stuff works for you. There's no strain, no effort, no concentration needed. No matter how hard I, or anyone else, work at it, we can't even come close. It's not fair."
Sheppard struggled to find the right words. "No, it isn't fair, Rodney. First, I don't know why it's like this. Second, you know it isn't as easy as just thinking 'What else is there?' I have to have some idea of…of…what we need."
McKay sighed. "We've never before found even the vaguest reference to where the drones were made in the Ancient database. Now I know it's probably because only you can access it. God knows how much more is out there we don't have a clue about."
"Well, at least now we do know there may be information in the database that is a little more difficult to get to." Elizabeth half smiled. "That's something, isn't it?"
Sheppard nodded in agreement. "We'll just have to look a little harder."
McKay brightened perceptibly. "Can you spare some time now? When we translated more of the text this morning, we found a reference to an off-world installation or something, but we didn't get a Gate address or location. We need it."
Sheppard checked his watch and nodded. "Give me a few minutes."
"Okay, come to my lab. We may not have to go back out to the design lab." McKay said as he walked toward the door. He stopped halfway and turned back. "You know, sometimes, you are a very scary man."
Elizabeth and Sheppard watched him go. They sat in silence for a minute, eyes on the door, before looking at each other.
"Well, that was interesting." Sheppard tried to not sound shaken.
She studied his face. "He's been under a lot of pressure. It must be frustrating for him not to have your abilities with the technology."
"Yeah." He adjusted his transceiver. "Beckett's never been able to explain why the gene therapy, using my genes, mind you, doesn't pass on the same abilities."
"The gene may not be the only thing involved." She offered.
"Well, I suppose I'd better get down there. Don't want to keep Rodney waiting." Sheppard grinned as he stood up. "We still on for lunch?"
"Do you think you'll be finished by then?"
"Elizabeth, I am going to shamelessly use you as an excuse to get away if need be. All I have to do is find the Gate address." He grinned. "Either that or shoot Rodney."
She laughed as he walked to the door.
"John?" Elizabeth was suddenly serious. He turned. "Is it really so easy for you to do this?"
"I suppose so. The difficult part is the language. It seems to understand what I'm thinking most of the time, and I am learning more Ancient. It's more just a matter of how I imagine or think about what I want." He shrugged. "It's sort of…Zen."
Sheppard sat at a console with an ATA sensor in McKay's sizable laboratory. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms up and back. Only he and McKay were in the lab now. The others had been dismissed some time ago after Davis made the mistake of saying he was hungry before McKay did.
Sheppard checked his watch. "Rodney, look, we both need to clear our minds for a few minutes. I have a meeting with Elizabeth and the break will do us good."
McKay heaved an impatient sigh and opened his mouth to speak then stopped. He nodded. "You're right. My blood sugar is getting low. I'll be able to think better with some food inside me."
They made their way to the mess hall. McKay piled his tray with food as Sheppard picked up a sandwich and scanned the counter for a moment. One of the cooks, a big Sergeant with stubbly graying hair, came out with a large crock of stew and nestled in the warming tray. He turned to leave when he saw them.
"Colonel! Hang on a minute, Sir." He disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. When he returned, he handed Sheppard a bulging MRE packet with a wink and a whisper. "Last one, Sir. I know how much you like 'em, so I thought I'd save it for you."
The younger man accepted it and peeked inside. He looked at what would probably be the last piece of fresh fruit he'd get for a while, a large, shiny apple. The Daedalus was not due back for a couple of weeks, and fruit on the mainland would not be in season for at least two months. The people of Namila edged into his mind. But when he looked at the Sergeant again, he let a slow grin spread on his face.
Sheppard spoke in a hushed tone. "Thanks, Sarge. I appreciate it."
"What's that?" McKay tried to peek in the packet.
Sheppard closed the packet and began to walk away. "Just a snack for later, Rodney. Meet you back in the lab in an hour."
"An hour?" McKay scowled at Sheppard's quickly retreating back.
"If we don't find anything this afternoon, I'm calling a halt to it." Sheppard dropped the remnants of the apple on the plate on the chair next to him. He'd consumed every edible part. "Teyla and Ronon are due back from the mainland tonight. I want to continue searching out in the northeast area."
"Rodney's really going to love that." Elizabeth placed her napkin on the plate in front of her. She grinned at his expression of mock fear.
"Yeah, well, we can come back and try it again later. You know, I don't know how those guys sit in their labs day after day. I'd go crazy." He stretched out his legs then realized what he said and looked sheepish. "Sorry."
"That's okay. Sitting behind a desk all day is not really my cup of tea, either."
"Col. Sheppard, this is McKay." The transceivers crackled in their ears.
Sheppard activated his vox. "Yes, Rodney?"
"Where are you?" The voice was impatient.
He glanced at his watch. "I'll be there in ten minutes."
"Very well." The reply was terse.
Sheppard tapped the transceiver to deactivate the vox function again as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he sat up straight.
"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked.
He tapped the transceiver again and held up a finger. "Dr. McKay, this is Sheppard."
"This is McKay."
"Meet me in the hologram room."
"Why?"
"I have an idea."
Elizabeth listened to the brief exchange with growing interest. When Sheppard stood up, she did, too.
"You coming, too?" He was surprised.
"I want to see this." She nodded and smiled. "Besides, it's a good excuse to get out of my office."
McKay was already in the hologram room when Elizabeth and Sheppard arrived. The physicist was squatting down next to the small pedestal console, busily setting up his laptop.
"So kind of you to come." McKay's tone was slightly sarcastic until he saw her. "Elizabeth, what are you doing here?"
The doors closed as Sheppard and Elizabeth walked to the pedestal. She stood next to it as he stepped up and placed his hand on the sensor pad. He glanced down at McKay. "Ready?"
"For what? I still don't understand why you wanted…" McKay glanced around as the lights dimmed, and then up at the sound of Elizabeth's intake of breath. He slowly stood up, laptop forgotten. "What…?"
A planetary system lazily revolved above them. After a full turn, it stopped. The fourth planet out from the sun hovered between them and grew in size as the rest of the system vanished.
"Where is this?" McKay asked in confusion.
"It's in an uninhabited system about halfway across the galaxy." Sheppard looked down for a moment then back at the planet. "The drones are in an underground installation."
"What? How could you possible know that?"" McKay quickly stared at Sheppard then seemed to remember something important. "Gate address? We need the Gate address."
A second later, a set of Gate symbols appeared under the planet. McKay dropped back down to the laptop on the floor but tried to watch the hologram at the same time.
"Don't move!" McKay waved one hand frantically in Sheppard's direction. "How do you know this is the right planet? How did you find it?"
"Semantics." Sheppard was staring the image in front of him. He peered closely at the Gate address. "Rodney? Check this out."
"What?" McKay groaned as he straightened up. He followed Sheppard's gaze.
"I don't recognize the middle symbol. Do either of you?"
"No." Elizabeth and McKay said as one.
"Damn." Sheppard continued to stare at the address.
"Can you get the coordinates? We might be able to figure out the right address or find a way to get there by Jumper." McKay's hope dissolved when he saw Sheppard shake his head.
"Could it be a home planet symbol?" Elizabeth asked.
"It would be a billion to one chance." McKay was instantly morose. "It's another dead end."
Elizabeth thought for a moment. "Well, at least we have access to the research. We can use that, can't we?"
She looked up at Sheppard for support to find he was not listening. He was deep in thought, arms folded over his chest. Elizabeth waited patiently. McKay busily worked on his laptop, mumbling quietly in his misery. After a minute or two, the Colonel became aware that he was being watched.
"Sorry, I was just thinking." He stepped around the pedestal and walked up to the address hanging in the air. The planet faded away and the symbols enlarged further.
"What, what?" McKay demanded. "What are you thinking?"
Sheppard didn't take his eyes off the hologram. "Is it in the database?"
"No. I've never come across it." McKay went back to his computer. A few seconds later he re-enforced his assertion. "No, it's nothing we've seen before."
Elizabeth watched the Colonel and the hologram in fascination. She didn't often have the chance to see this room in action, and always found it thrilling. It was especially so when Sheppard controlled it. Every action was fluid and coherent, the detail sharp. He didn't have to be near the ATA sensor for the room to do all he asked of it.
This was when the Ancient data came to life. The hologram Beckett triggered on their arrival in Atlantis seemed to be programmed to play for the first person with the ATA gene to touch the sensor. Since then, it would give up its treasures only when specifically instructed to do so.
Some of the others with the Ancient gene, like Rodney, had attained a high degree of skill with the technology. None of them, though, would ever have John Sheppard's ability. Elizabeth felt it was as much a part of him as breathing. Rodney was right, it was all too easy for him. Just as it was easy for Rodney to do what he did.
McKay exhaled loudly. "Just staring at it isn't going to help."
"Oh, ye of little faith." Sheppard raised a conspiratorial eyebrow at Elizabeth then looked back at the hologram. "Observe."
The address enlarged even more and became three dimensional then slowly rolled. They saw the strange symbol divide and become two distinct symbols, one stacked on the other. It continued to turn a full rotation until it returned to its original position. This time, however, there was a line of seven familiar symbols with an eighth sinking to just below the middle one.
"How the hell did you figure it out?" McKay looked at it in disbelief.
Sheppard shrugged but didn't take his eyes off the hologram. "Just a guess. Why the extra symbol?"
"Is it in another galaxy?" Elizabeth asked.
"Who knows?" McKay crossed his arms. "Why was it layered under the other one? Where does it go? Do we dial it before or after the middle symbol?"
"At the same time?" Elizabeth looked from McKay to Sheppard.
"Can't be done." McKay said offhandedly. "It just stops the dialing sequence."
The doors swung open and the hologram disappeared as Sheppard turned around.
McKay looked around. "Wait, wait! Where are you going?"
"Gate Ops." The Colonel waved his hand for Elizabeth to leave first. She smiled and walked out first. Sheppard glanced at McKay. "Coming?"
The physicist scrambled to collect his laptop and hurry after them.
McKay shooed away the technician sitting at the DHD and took her chair. He nervously rubbed his hands together and glanced at Elizabeth and Sheppard. He slowly dialed seven symbols, using just one of the middle stacked pair. They all looked from the DHD to the Gate, but the final one did not lock. The personnel around Gate Ops looked anxiously from McKay to the Gate and back.
"Well, it isn't that one." McKay took a deep breath and began to dial again, using the other middle symbol. Again, nothing happened. "Damn."
Sheppard pointed at the DHD. "Okay, dial the middle two together. It has to be…"
"Yes, yes, yes! I just don't think it's going to work." McKay waved the Colonel's hand away. He dialed the first three symbols, but when he tried to press the middle pair at one time, the sequence stopped. He turned to the others. "See? What did I tell you?"
"What if it is an address somewhere outside of the Pegasus Galaxy?" Elizabeth interjected. "It would make sense for security reasons."
"It would, Rodney, since this is the only Gate in Pegasus that can dial another galaxy." Sheppard agreed.
"Oh, really?" McKay snapped. His frustration was more than obvious. "That completely slipped my mind."
Sheppard leaned over and spoke softly so that only McKay and Elizabeth could hear. "Rodney, behave."
McKay glared at him in offense. He turned and began to dial an address using all of the symbols. When he pressed the seventh symbol, it would not engage. The sequence shut down again. McKay exhaled loudly, glanced up at the others and started dialing again, switched the order of the middle two symbols. The results were the same.
"Well, that's it." The physicist stood up.
"Could there be something wrong with the DHD?" Sheppard looked at it then at McKay with all the innocence he could muster. "Maybe you didn't connect everything when you took it apart. Perhaps you…?"
"The dialing device is working just fine, Colonel." McKay stood up and glowered at Sheppard. "There must be something wrong with the address."
"No, the address is fine. I'm sure you'll figure it out, Rodney." Sheppard said with a straight face.
At first, McKay wasn't sure if the comment was an insult or a compliment. He seemed to decide he should take it as the latter. "Maybe there's something wrong with the receiving Gate. I could calculate the coordinates of the various permutations. We may be able to run them through the database to see if there is another Gate near enough to get there by Jumper."