THE ELEDGIAS

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: RUNNING AROUND IN CIRCLES

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"No," Zelenka mumbled, shifting crystals around on the matrix and then returning to typing in commands on the attached laptop, "I cannot locate him that way. He's disabled the sensors."

"In what area?" Elizabeth asked, leaning over Zelenka's shoulder. "Because, surely if we can pinpoint where he's disabled the sensors, then we'll locate him."

Zelenka did not roll his eyes, but flexed his eyebrows in a way that suggested he wanted to. "Yes, obviously, except that Rodney is smarter than that. He's disabled the sensors all over Atlantis."

"What?" Elizabeth tried not to squeak as this information was imparted. "But that's…that's…."

"He has not disabled the biometric sensors," Zelenka sighed. "It will still pick up any Wraith in the City. As I said, he is very clever—he would not put us at risk like that, even if the risk is low right now." As he spoke, he glanced across at the green screen, as some windows popped up to show clear hallways along the piers.

Elizabeth grimaced, still thinking that McKay's actions were reckless. To her mind, it was still dangerous to disable the life signs sensors for too long. Meanwhile, Zelenka had returned to typing again on the computer.

Sheppard frowned, still staring at the screens. "Well, how about we…."

The laptop beeped, and Zelenka's eyebrows shot up, "Oh."

"Oh?" Sheppard asked, shifting in place and readjusting the sling on his arm with a wince. He looked somewhat relieved at being stopped from voicing the suggestion he had been about to make.

"Well," Zelenka said, "I had another thought. Doctor McKay would undoubtedly need to access the database at some point, whether to monitor us or to try and learn more about the ruins on the Mainland, so I did a search for any locations outside normal areas where someone has accessed the database." He frowned, as if trying to understand something, "But I have found two."

"Two?" Elizabeth repeated, her anger subsiding somewhat before her curiosity. "Close together?"

"No. Not even within transporter range. And," Zelenka tilted his head, eyes still reviewing the laptop screen in front of him, "they were used almost simultaneously." A few keyed commands, and two windows popped up on the main green screen, showing two locations flashing red. He was right—they were nowhere near each other.

"This one," Zelenka stood up and pointed to the red dot in the window on the right, "is close to the infirmary." He turned to offer raised eyebrows to the colonel and Weir standing behind him. "Given the short time frame he had to make his escape…" he trailed off.

"That seems too easy," Sheppard said, looking at the other red dot. "Could he have done this on purpose? Gone to this site," he indicated the far point, "but sent information to the other place to throw us off?"

"No. They each accessed different information—different parts of the database." Zelenka, was now looking at the far red dot, his head tilted, expression thoughtful. "But, while there may be reason for someone other than Rodney to check the database near the infirmary...there is no reason for anyone to be using the one that is far away."

"Either way, they both need checking out," Elizabeth noted. "If one of these is not Doctor McKay, I'd like to know who it was and why they used that access point." She glanced askance at Sheppard, "Colonel, are you feeling up to…" She trailed off, smiling a little at the hardened glare he was giving her. Of course. This was Rodney. Nothing short of a bullet would stop Sheppard from being part of the search. She nodded, "Then you have a go."

"Wait, wait," Zelenka was looking down at the laptop screen, and his eyebrows lifting in surprise at something. The screen was suddenly alive with flashing dots, reflected in the glasses of the Czech scientist as he processed the information. Pushing the glasses further up on the ridge of his nose, he slipped back into the chair before the computer, hit a few keys, then lifted his hands away. His lips pursed. "Hunh."

This time is was Elizabeth who asked, "Hunh?"

"The sensors are back on line. He's turned them back on."

"Which means he's back in the peopled part of the City, where he can hide in plain sight," Sheppard noted darkly.

"Yes, except…" Zelenka typed some more, then turned to look at the two dots on the screen. All of a sudden, a new white dot was blinking near the red dot on the far pier. "There is still someone out there."

That's all it took. Sheppard spun around, pointing at the two marines closest to him in the control room, and then jerking them to follow him with his thumb. "Let's go." The were out of the room and headed for the transporter before Elizabeth could blink.

Gritting her teeth, she turned back to the green screen, looking at the motionless white dot.

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Sheppard wasn't a fool. He sent Lorne to follow up on the access panel near the infirmary, but he was on his way to the far point. Something in his gut was telling him Rodney was in deep trouble, and the key lay out there.

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The android jogged down the hall away from the room where it had suspected McKay had accessed the database—it had been empty. With a growing sense of unease, it made its way directly to the infirmary, where it had seen the scientist last. Hoping to still find him there, it picked up the pace and strode in through the open doors.

Over by one side of the room, Beckett looked up, and smiled brightly at "Teyla's" appearance.

The android faked a smile in return.

"I was looking for Doctor McKay," it said, looking around the room.

"Oh," Beckett seemed saddened by this, putting down whatever he was working on and moving to join her. "You haven't heard?"

"Heard?"

"Aye. Rodney's gone AWOL. Up and scarpered when I wasn't looking—everyone's out there trying to find him. I'm actually surprised you weren't called." He glanced at her ear, at the radio looped there. "You weren't called?"

The android flexed an eyebrow, lying smoothly, "I did not hear the call." Yes, it had heard Teyla's name echoed over the wire, but it had ignored it. Had it known what the call was about, it might have answered. The android realized it was a foolish thing to do now.

Beckett's brow furrowed slightly, as if surprised by that, then it cleared as he obviously decided not to worry about it. "Look, lass," he said, glancing to make sure no one was watching, then taking her arm and leading her to a shadowed spot near the doors, where no one else would overhear them. "Rodney's worried about you. I realize that it's groundless, as does everyone else, but when he gets a bee in his bonnet, he has a hard time letting it go sometimes, as you know. I was actually hoping you might be able to help me prove to him that he's got his wires crossed here."

The android blinked, not quite sure what the two odd idioms he'd just used meant, but understanding he wanted Teyla to do something.

"Of course. What do you need?" it asked, pretending to seem open to the idea.

He smiled at her seeming willingness, "Oh, not much. Just hope you might be willing to sit for an X-Ray. I'll just do your arm. That should be enough to make him see sense."

It frowned, not knowing the word. "X-Ray?"

Another furrowed brow. "Yes. You know, the machine that allows me to see your bones? That fracture you had a couple of months back, for example--"

"You speak of an earth machine?" the android asked, cutting him off.

The brow furrowed more, "Aye. Teyla, you've seen it before. Why—"

"No."

Beckett didn't hide his surprise. "What?"

"I will not do it."

"But," he frowned, "Why not?"

The android considered lying, but then decided it didn't have the time, repeating out loud, "Because I do not have the time. Doctor McKay has not revealed to you what he learned in the database?"

The physician's confusion was evident. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Then he has probably not told anyone else either," the android looked at the ground, then back up again. "Which must mean he does not think you will believe him—even with the knowledge of what I am—and he intends to rescue her on his own. We must stop him. He may not realize that she is part-Wraith." Beckett raised his eyebrows as she spoke, and, as the words sunk in, suddenly tried to step back. With the speed of a rattler, the android had his arm trapped in a vice like grip, and had pulled the gun at its hip. "I am sorry, Doctor Beckett, but I need you to come with me."

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TBC...Ah Poor Beckett. I'm just going for broke in this one. Poor EVERYONE! Bwahahaha! No one gets out ali...ahem...what? No, no, it's not a deathfic! It's not! Bad Tipper.