Hope
Missing scene from between Letters from Pegasus
and The Gift
"For the last time no, Rodney!" Sheppard glared briefly at McKay before stalking down the dark hallway.
"Major, it really is an honor," Zalenka ventured. He physically shied away from Sheppard as the Major fixed him with a scathing look.
"Not you too," John continued down the hallway.
Rodney followed at a safe distance. "Major, do you realize how few people can pass a MENSA? I can't believe you're saying no!"
"The Atlantis chapter would love to have you, Major," Zalenka piped in, "you should be flattered."
Sheppard ignored both of them. Ever since he'd mentioned that damn test, McKay had been hounding him about it. He looked around, scanning the dark corridor.
"Major Sheppard, this is Weir, do you read me?"
John turned and smiled at the two doctors. "Saved by the bell."
"Major do you copy?" Weir's voice took on a tone of concern.
Sheppard clicked the call button on his radio. "This is Sheppard, go ahead."
"Major. How goes the search?"
John looked around at the dimly lit hallway. Up until recently, this tower of the east pier was unexplored; it's contents hidden behind a highly advanced Ancient lock. Just a few days ago, McKay finally deciphered a section of the Ancient database that gave him the key to opening it. Weir had immediately ordered the tower searched, hoping the extra security meant there would be something they could use against the impending Wraith attack. So far, nothing out of the ordinary had been found. "Same as before. Nothing. With all the security on this place, you'd think we'd find something we could use."
"Keep looking, Major, and keep me posted." Weir responded.
"Copy that." Sheppard shined his gun light further down the hallway, his eyes narrowing at a narrow staircase winding up to another level. "What about up there?" He looked at McKay, who walked up next to him, and gazed intently at his LSD.
Rodney glanced up at the staircase then back at his LSD. "Hmm…faint energy readings."
Sheppard nodded and started towards it. "Sounds promising." Slowly, he climbed the long, winding staircase, McKay and Zalenka following him. As he reached the top, Sheppard looked both ways down a long hall. "Which way now?"
Out of breath, Rodney heavily climbed the last stairs and stopped beside him.
"McKay?" Sheppard glanced at the doctor expectantly.
Rodney waved a hand at him. "Just…a second."
Sheppard shook his head, a smile touching his mouth. "We really need to get you to the gym more often, Rodney." He grinned mischievously at McKay. "Maybe we can get Teyla to teach you how to fight."
"Very…funny."
"Go left, Major," Zalenka responded as he looked down at Rodney's LSD.
"Thank you!" Rodney brushed past Zalenka and started down the hallway, "I was going to tell him that."
"McKay." Sheppard shook his head as Rodney sighed loudly and turned back.
"What?"
"You, ah, want to wait for the rest of us?" John arched his brows in amusement. Pointing his gun light down the hallway, Sheppard walked past McKay and took the lead. He looked left and right as they slowly walked down the long hallway. "You sure, about this? I don't even see any doors."
"Yes, Major. Had I not looked myself, I'd say Radek here was wrong. But I've confirmed his interpretations. The energy source is this way."
"You're just mad because I'm in better shape than you are." Zalenka muttered.
"Oh yes. You are a shining physical specimen." Rodney shot back sarcastically.
Sheppard rolled his eyes at the endless banter as he continued down the hallway. Nearing the end, he stopped, his gaze fixed on a wide doorway.
"I make up for it in brainpower, which, I might add sadly dwarfs…"
"Shut up, McKay." Sheppard looked back at the doctors. "I found something."
Rodney walked up to the doorway, looking it over thoroughly. After a moment, he tapped the door controls, sighing as nothing happened. He opened the panel and stared intently at the controls for a moment before looking back at Zalenka. "I need those instructions we used to open up the main entrance to this tower. I think this door is locked the same way."
Sheppard continued to shine his light over McKay's shoulder. "That's encouraging." He reached up and clicked on his radio. "Control, this is Sheppard. We may have found something."
"This is Weir. That's good news, Major."
"Well, don't get excited yet, we're still trying to get in, but McKay picked up faint energy readings, and this door is locked in the same manner as the main entrance to this tower. I don't think someone would go to all this trouble if it wasn't important."
"Copy that, Major, keep us posted."
Weir's voice sounded hopeful and brought a small smile to Sheppard's face. "We'll do."
Muttering to himself, Rodney stared intently at the display that Zalenka held for him, before returning his attention to the control panel. His hands moved swiftly as he rearranged the circuitry before replacing the panel cover. Dramatically, he tapped the center crystal, smiling smugly as the door slowly opened.
Sheppard stepped back, wincing as a blast of stale air hit him in the face. He grabbed McKay's arm, stopping the doctor from entering the dark room.
"I don't think this room was well ventilated, Rodney, give it a minute."
McKay crinkled his nose, and nodded as Zalenka sneezed. "Wonder why life support didn't maintain this room?" Rodney wondered out loud.
"And why is it airtight?" Zalenka added, causing McKay to sigh loudly.
"Items 3000 and 3001 for our list of questions we'll probably never know the answers to." Impatiently, McKay stepped forward, sniffing lightly. "I think it's okay. It smells bad, but not going to hurt us."
Not entirely convinced, Sheppard nonetheless joined him as all three slowly walked into the room.
True to form, Atlantis sensed their presence and they'd gone no more than two feet before the room abruptly lit up.
"Oh my God."
Sheppard felt much the same, although, unlike McKay, he didn't voice it. Lowering his gun, John stared in wonder, not quite believing what he was seeing.
The room itself was much the same as countless other rooms they'd encountered as they had explored the city except for one thing.
A Control Chair.
Sheppard walked forward and carefully stepped up onto the platform. His demeanor almost reverent, John slowly circled the Ancient Chair his hand brushing over the high back. "Please tell me this has power," he whispered.
Rodney knelt next to the chair's platform and passed his hand over a circular panel. With a quiet whine, the panel slowly rose from the platform, revealing a ZPM.
Rodney's shoulders sagged as he pulled the darkened ZPM from its slot. "Can't do that, Major." He held the depleted ZPM up, disappointment shadowing his expression.
"Damn." Sheppard smacked the back of the chair lightly. "We just can't get a break, can we?"
"That comes as no surprise," Zalenka added as he knelt next to Rodney. "We would've detected the ZPM a long time ago if it hadn't been depleted."
McKay nodded. "He's right. One of the first things we did when we got here was scan the city for more Zed PM's. We would've found it."
Sheppard nodded, struggling to keep the disappointment from his voice. "Any chance you two can get this thing up and running?"
McKay and Zalenka exchanged dubious expressions before looking back at Sheppard.
"It depends, really, on the energy requirements. The chair at Terra Atlantus was powered by a ZPM, but that may not mean that we have to have one…" Zalenka shrugged.
"It's doubtful," McKay interrupted. "Most of the Ancient technology is designed to be powered by Zed PM's. Nothing else works."
"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try, Rodney," Zalenka responded.
"Of course it doesn't!" Rodney shot back. "I'm merely pointing out the facts. That doesn't mean we're not going to try!"
"Alright that's enough." Sheppard interrupted. Their constant bickering and the disappointment with the Control Chair had about drained his patience. He raised his hand. "Just…stop."
He turned away and reached for his radio. "Control, this is Sheppard."
"Go ahead, Major," Weir responded.
"Elizabeth, we found a Control Chair." John closed his eyes as in the background he could hear clapping and excited chatter.
"That's great news, Major." Elizabeth's voce was relieved and optimistic.
Sheppard sighed. "Don't get too hopeful yet, Elizabeth. The ZPM is depleted. Right now, we can't even power it up."
"Elizabeth," Rodney interrupted, "we may be able to find a different power source. I won't know until I study it some more."
"I understand, Rodney."
Sheppard shook his head slightly at the disappointment in her voice, despite her best efforts to sound positive.
"What do you need?"
Rodney sighed. "At this moment? A charged Zed PM comes to mind."
"Rodney." Sheppard's quiet voice halted McKay's sarcasm.
McKay pursed his lips. "Nothing. We'll be back in about a half hour.""Major?" Weir questioned.
"He's right, Elizabeth," Sheppard added. "We'll be back in 30 minutes."
"Copy that. See you then."
John turned and headed for the door only to be stopped by McKay's voice.
"Major?"
Sheppard turned and studied the two doctors that stared back at him. Faint circles from sleepless nights shadowed both their eyes, and day old stubble spotted their faces. John sighed, knowing that he probably looked about the same. "What is it, McKay?"
Rodney shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Don't give up…I mean we still might be able to do something, that is…"
"I think what Rodney is trying to say is, we still have time. We might be able to make the Chair work." Zalenka interrupted.
Rodney turned and faced Zalenka, his uncomfortable expression turning decidedly annoyed, "you didn't have to interrupt me, I was getting to that."
"Really?" Zalenka arched his eyebrows. "When exactly? Before or after the Wraith show up?"
"You know? That sarcastic attitude really is counter productive, Radek." McKay stepped off the platform and started across the room. "You should lighten it up a little."
Zalenka groaned before sending a string of emphatic Czech phrases at Rodney's back. "What is the term?" he asked, switching back to English, "the pot calling the kettle black?"
Sheppard turned and walked out the door, a smile coming to his face, in spite of the dark days that loomed on the horizon for all of them. Wraith invasion or not, some things never changed.
Author's Notes:
Was it just me, or did they all seem so casual in the beginning of "The Gift" about having access to a Control Chair? I was amazed at how unexcited they were and asking myself, "okay, when exactly did that happen?"…hence this story.
Thanks JackO'Neill4551 and the members of the M.A.J.O.R for discussing this little idea and how we all noticed it in the episode. That certainly sicced this plot bunny on me!
Once again, I don't own anything from the Stargate Universe; I just borrow the concept from time to time. :)
SGAFan