Long Strange Trip
Chapter 5
Alternate SGA-1 team on Regular Atlantis
Ronon Dex barreled through the darkened hallways of the strange city, confused and disoriented. He clutched the weapon he had stolen, his nerves heightened as he ran aimlessly. The corridors were dark, but Ronon had no problem seeing; he was accustomed to traveling quickly in unfamiliar, poorly lit places.
Where was Owen? For that matter, where was he? One minute he was goading the two Wraith to attack him, setting them up for an ambush. The next, he's lying on a cold floor, listening as the two men spoke, eyeing the still form of the woman next to him. That the others were as rattled by their circumstances as Ronon did not offer him any comfort. Rather, it meant that he had yet to meet whoever was in charge of this little game. Ronon had dealt with a great number of people on the various planets he had visited, and some were downright nasty. He would not be surprised to learn that he and the others were being used in some kind of experiment or something.
He paused as he came to a dead end, then swung back around. Right now, his biggest problem was trying to determine exactly where he was, and then find a way off this world. Until then, anyone he met was his enemy. His face set and grim, he paused, then turned down another corridor.
oOo
Teyla crouched in the corner, trying to catch her breath. She was unnerved, by both the current situation and by the appearance of Major Sheppard. As she thought about the man, Teyla's grip on the gun increased. How she despised Sheppard. He and his people had arrived on Athos more than a year ago, offering friendship and peace. She had been hesitant at first, but was soon won over by the man's easy smile and sincere manner. She had trusted him, sharing her knowledge, offering to act as their guide and liaison and assuring her people that the humans were allies. How that had all disintegrated when Sheppard had awakened the Wraith!
And when the Athosians needed help, begging for assistance from their new, strong allies, Sheppard had only shaken his head; the humans had to protect Atlantis. The Athosians were on their own. Teyla had nearly killed the Major in that moment, but the Wraith had attacked, and he had escaped to the safety of his city. Teyla and her people were left behind, and devastation had soon followed.
Nearly half of her people had been killed or taken, including her father. When the dust had settled, and the remaining Athosians realized that Teyla's friendship with the humans had been the reason for their destruction, they had bellowed for Teyla's execution. Teyla had only bent her head, knowing that she deserved to die for her actions.
Instead, Halling had stepped forward, pleading on Teyla's behalf, reminding the Elders of her past deeds. He had insisted that it had been the humans, and not Teyla, who had failed the Athosians. The Elders had reluctantly agreed, and, in a moment of mercy, sentenced Teyla to shunning.
She had been horrified; the once proud leader was now a beggar, a community slave. The Elders had quickly reminded her that the other choice was death, and Teyla had stepped forward, willing to end her life. Only Halling's tortured face made her accept the Elders sentence, and submit to a shunning.
Tears pooled in Teyla's eyes as she thought of Halling. The truth was, in Teyla's mind, shunning was an appropriate punishment for her crimes. Only the tall, blonde man treated her with any kindness, offering her a safe place to stay, and decent food to eat. Other than that, she was spit on, kicked at, harassed and beaten. She wore little more than rags, and spoke with no one, other than Halling.
She could have left Athos, walked through the stargate to another world, a world where she was safe; instead, she woke up every day, accepting her fate grimly. Running was not her way. If shunning was the price she had to pay for her bad decisions, then she would do so, willingly.
Teyla froze as she heard the voices of the two humans approach. Her face settled into a mask as she made a decision. She would follow Sheppard and the other human – McKay. She would make them send her back to Athos. Before she left, she would kill Sheppard. And she would return to her people, bearing Sheppard's head as a token of her atonement.
oOo
Rodney gazed around the lab in consternation. Everywhere, technicians and engineers were scurrying about, their eyes focused on laptops or testing equipment or talking on headsets. Things were much busier here than they were on his Atlantis.
He shook his head. This was going to take some getting used to. After he and Sheppard had left the room, they had made their way back to the populated areas of Atlantis, discussing their options. They had separated, John heading to Caldwell's office, and Rodney hurrying to the lab. He had first stopped at the infirmary, sitting patiently while Dr. Beckett had poked and prodded. His very stillness had apparently caused some concern, because the doctor had started pestering him with questions. Rodney had answered as best he could, which really created problems.
Apparently, the McKay who ran this lab was an arrogant, impatient, demanding complainer who expected everyone to work every hour of every day. When he had calmly and completely answered Beckett's questions, submitted to blood being drawn (without protesting, then fainting – apparently a first) and then had jumped off the table, thanking everyone for their concern, Carson had gaped at him.
"Rodney, are you sure you're feeling all right?"
The answer to that question was somewhat muddled. Physically, the scientist felt fine. But, inside he was quaking with fear. There had been no sign of his wife or daughter. He had refrained from asking about his family, already aware that his actions were…unusual. As they had parted, Rodney had admonished Sheppard to try and play the part of the Colonel who was supposed to be here. Hopefully, that would allow Rodney some time to try and figure out how to restore everyone to normal. Still, the thought of not having Jessie and Lizzie – he tightened his hands into fists, trying to still his trembling. He paused as he spied a friendly face, and crossed the floor of the lab.
"Dr. Zelenka? What have you got there?" Rodney asked, then silently berated himself as Radek gave him a wary look. He would have to remember to be more demanding, and not as polite. Jeez – what a jerk this guy must be.
"Dr. McKay. I think I managed to completely bypass the device you and Colonel Sheppard located this morning. We shouldn't have any more power surges."
Rodney merely nodded, unsure of how to proceed. He was unaware of the circumstances that led the other Rodney to investigate the room, and needed some information. He snapped his fingers as an idea surfaced.
"Radek, have you written a report regarding this morning's incident?" The Czech slowly nodded his head.
"I was working on compiling the data now. Why?"
Rodney managed to school his face into a grimace. "I just want to check and make sure that you didn't leave anything out." His curt reply had the necessary effect; Radek blushed red, then angrily pulled the report up on the computer screen.
"See for yourself, Dr. McKay." With a final glare, Zelenka stomped from the room, muttering to himself under his breath.
Rodney stifled a sigh. It was not in his nature to berate others, and he had to refrain from calling to Radek and apologizing. Running a hand through his hair, he sat in Zelenka's vacated chair. The sooner he knew what was going on, the sooner he could get home.
oOo
Major John Sheppard paused outside of Caldwell's office, his gut tying into knots. He despised Caldwell. After the Colonel had been named commander of Atlantis, he had moved into Elizabeth's office, removing all her knick-knacks, sending them back to Earth, leaving nothing but memories for John. He still dreamed about Dr. Weir's last moments, the words she had whispered to him, the blood that had spilled on to the floor. Night after night, for over a year now, he had awakened, sweating and shaking, returning to the moment where he had failed Elizabeth.
John drew in a deep breath, then gave a quick knock.
"Enter." Caldwell's harsh voice sounded, and John grimaced. 'You're a different John Sheppard. Remember that,' he thought to himself. Then he swung the door open. And gaped in shock.
All of Elizabeth's things were intact, displayed on the walls and positioned on her cabinets. Comfortable chairs invited one to sit, while the soft light and warm tones suggested serenity. John's gaze circled the room, coming to rest on Colonel Caldwell, who was propped against the desk.
"Colonel Sheppard. Care to enlighten me on what happened this morning?" Caldwell folded his arms across his chest, patiently waiting for a reply. John was speechless.
Colonel? He was a Colonel? When did that happen? John stepped into the room, trying to get his thoughts in order. As he opened his mouth to speak, he was nudged from behind.
"John. Everything okay?" He whirled around, his astonishment undisguisable. Elizabeth Weir gave him a small smile, her eyes holding a hint of worry. She crossed the room, pulling out the chair, and settled in behind her desk. John remained silent, his eyes following his dead leader around the room.
He couldn't breathe. Elizabeth was alive! Smiling and walking and healthy. For a moment, he thought he was going to pass out, the shock was so great.
"Colonel!" Caldwell's voice penetrated his fog, and John looked over at the Colonel, noting the concern on the man's face.
"You better get Beckett," Caldwell said to Elizabeth, and she nodded. She had just returned from the sick bay herself, assuring the doctor that the bump on her head was nothing. As she paged Carson on the headset, she came around the desk, guiding John to one of the chairs. He sagged into the cushion, his eyes never leaving Weir's concerned face as she crouched next to him.
"No, no. I'm good," John managed to spit out. He desperately longed to reach out and touch Elizabeth, but the look in her eyes stopped him. Apparently, the relationship between John and Elizabeth here was strictly professional, friendly but distant. He closed his eyes, inhaling her perfume and sighing. What that poor guy was missing…..
"John, Carson is on his way. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Numbly, he shook his head, then struggled to find his voice.
"Just….just a bit dizzy. Sorry," he offered as an explanation. Elizabeth stood up, moving out of the way as the Scottish physician came barreling in. He quickly checked over Sheppard, then ordered the Colonel to report to the infirmary. John merely nodded. He had recovered from his shock, but needed to think before he proceeded. A couple of hours in the care of Beckett might buy him the time he needed.
As John exited the room, with Carson following closely behind, he paused. He couldn't resist turning around and seeing the beautiful face of his expedition leader once more. Elizabeth was alive. One thing was certain – this Atlantis already appealed to John more than he believed.
TBC