Yes, yes… I know… it took me way to long to update…. And I truly am sorry… it's my last semester in college and the work load is insane… and yet somehow I got this chapter out during midterm week… but next week is break… so I'll be sure to crank out a chapter next week…. I still have lots of ideas.. just need to get them out on paper… so please be patient…. And I think you for being so… so… far… (that made sense in my mind… I swear)

And on with the show

…oooOOOooo…

"This stuff makes no sense," Lucas pushed the hair out of his eyes.

"That's what the translation program and the laptops are for." McKay's fingers flew over the keyboard of his own computer.

The teenager went back over to the computer the Atlantis crew had supplied him with. "How exactly do you connect these to the alien technology?" He curiously pulled up the cables, following then to where they lead to.

"Magic,' McKay snapped, "can we get back to work?"

"Oh, please," Lucas was more then annoyed with Mckay. "I grew up on computers like these, I think the first one I built ran this OS. I could upgrade this in no time if you want me to."

"How old were you when you built your first computer?" Zelenka asked without looking up.

"Eight."

"Oh," Radek looked up, thought about that for a second and looked back down.

"I mean it wasn't anything to write home about. It had its fair share of bugs, I only used such an old OS because that's the only software I could find in my dad's basement. I hadn't gotten around to hacking stuff from others yet" Lucas grinned to himself

The kid was getting on McKay's last nerve. "Well seeing as these computers are what's going to get your butt back to daddy's basement, why don't you just shut up and sit over there." He pointed to the corner.

Lucas went back to the console and pulled up another screen, "You're just jealous that you need my help."

Rodney stood up and turned, "Oh yes, I bow down before you and your genius. You know nothing about this technology."

"Well, neither do you." Lucas said back coolly.

Radek rolled his eyes. "This is going to be a long, long day" he mumbled under his breath in Czech.

"What was that?" Rodney asked.

"Nothing." He blew off, back to Czech, "You can't work with the man when he's like this."

They managed to work in relative peace for the next hour. The ball was bounced back and forth between Rodney and Lucas to see who can make the most snarktastic remark to the other. Finally Lucas slapped the console and stood up smiling. "I think I found the wormhole controls."

"What!" Mckay spat with a mix of frustration and doubt that a kid found the key information before him.

"What? Am I not speaking English? I. Think. I. Found. The. Wormhole. Controls…" Lucas glowered at the older man.

Zelenka, who had long ago gotten tired of being the intermediary between the two, but even longer ago resigned to the fact that he was the mediatory between McKay and anyone else; peered over Lucas' shoulder. "I think he is right, looks like what we are looking for." Lucas looked over to McKay with a mocking grin.

Rodney shot across the room, took over the console, pulled a few screens up and looked over what Lucas had found. "Hmmm… well, good for you. Let's get to work."

The sound of combat boots indicated the arrival of Sheppard. "Gentlemen, how's it goin' in here?"

"Oh, just splendid… come join the fun… round two will be starting at anytime." Radek spoke up before the other two could.

"Is the old genius jealous of the young genius." Sheppard played.

"Shut up," Mckay overheard and yelled back.

"Well I'll take that as my cue to leave again, just wanted to check in, see how you're doing."

"And you couldn't use the radio?" McKay asked.

"I enjoyed the walk."

"I found..." McKay started.

"I found…" Lucas interrupted.

"We found…" McKay rolled his eyes, "the wormhole controls"

"You just now found them…"

"Would you like to take over? I bet you could do this much faster then the three of us." Rodney didn't need to deal with both him and Wolenczak.

"I'd prefer not…"

"Okay then, we'll let you know when we know something."

Sheppard whispered to Zelenka, "I don't know if I've ever pitied you more." Zelenka gave him a tired nod. He raised his voice again, "Play nice boys, don't make me take your toys away."

…oooOOOooo…

Lorne and Brody sat in Jumper two's control seats. At the moment there wasn't much to do, the jumpers sensors were keeping a watch on the area, looking for anything coming near them in the sky. There was a nervous tension in the air, that something would come looking for the downed ship.

"So do you remember who won the Stanley Cup?" Lorne asked as they sat and waited.

"What year?"

"'05."

Brody looked up, racking his brain, "Um… Hockey isn't really my sport… but wasn't the 2004-2005 season the one they cancelled… or was that 06?"

"They cancelled season? What? Why?"

"Who knows, like I said, I don't really follow hockey, too cold. I was also in elementary school at that time, remember."

"Riiight, you know, that takes some getting used to."

"You're telling me, I guess I know how my mom felt now…"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind…" at the same time, the corner of the HUD started blinking

"Shit," tapping his radio, "Colonel, this is Lorne."

"I'm here, what'cha got."

"Bad news I'm afraid, Sir. The jumper's sensors have picked up five unidentified ships heading this way and they're booking it.

"Are they KraTaK?"

"There's a good chance, can't think of anyone else."

"I can't tell, but Brody seems to think so." Ford relayed to Sheppard

"Well, if it is them. I'm sure they're not happy that we have their favorite ship. Well…" Lorne heard the ring of a boot hitting metal, "pieces of it at least. Go take a look, cloak the ship and see what's up. I'll meet you up there."

"Yes, Sir." To Brody, "You heard the man, let's go see who's interested in us."

"Did he say cloak the ship."

"Oh… you ain't seen nothing yet."

…oooOOOooo…

John ran back to the engineering section, "Mckay, we're going to have some guests real soon here. What's the chance we can just pull the harddrive and leave them the scraps of their ship?"

"Oh yes, I'm sure an intergalactic wormhole drive will fit wonderfully in my back pack."

"Yeah didn't think so."

"There's a chance it might," Radek hadn't even looked up from the screen he was staring at when Sheppard entered.

"What?" John and Rodney said at once.

"According to this, it looks like the actual wormhole generator is fairly compact," Lucas explained, he'd been staring at the same screen.

"Huge ship, tiny engine?" Sheppard asked.

Radek finally looked up, "No, the engines are massive, the generator is not what propels the ship though. Most of the mass of the wormhole generator is a power source, if we can cut that and use our own we might be able to carry it."

"Okay," Sheppard sounded enthusiastic. "Then lets get the generator and get out of here."

"The whole getting to it part, that may be difficult." Lucas cut in.

"Of course it will." John sighed.

Before Lucas could cut back in McKay explained. "We can't just go and rip it out of the ship."

"Why not."

"Well, because we have to be able to reconnect it to our own systems, so it has to be taken out without damaging it. Not to mention it's not like it's just sitting right here in the room. It's down in the actual engine."

"Great, why can't things ever be already boxed up and labeled."

…oooOOOooo…

I still have work to do over break… but I WILL write… I promise… don't worry… Tim and the others will be back…