AN: Sorry this is a little late; I got sucked into a fic called "The Killing Frost" by Sholio, and got delayed in my rewrite. If you haven't read it yet, DO! I dare you to stop after you've read the first three chapters!
SPOILERS for "Trinity"
SUMMARY: After the events in "Trinity", Sheppard and McKay's relationship is strained at best. But is stranding them in a remote lighthouse with only Zelenka as referee going to help them work things out?
DISCLAIMER: The following story is a work of fanfiction, and as such is for fan enjoyment only. All recognizable characters/settings are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is made.
Deus Ex Machina
By KerrAvon
4. The Village
The stroll to the village was pleasant, and almost entirely downhill; the sun still shown despite the increasing clouds and a soft breeze brought the scent of newly-opened flowers and cut grass to his nostrils…'Uh-oh. I wonder if McKay brought anything for his allergies?' He smirked at the thought, then cringed. A stuffed-up, whining McKay was not his idea of a perfect housemate for the next two weeks…
When he finally reached the village of Lorton, the first word that sprang to mind was 'quaint'. Main Street was a dirt road lined for three blocks with wood-sided shops of all sorts, the 'Mom and Pop' variety he remembered from his childhood. Pleasant-faced women bustled about their shopping, pausing to haggle with various smiling shopkeepers over the price of this or that. Occasional dog-like creatures trotted about their canine business, sniffing posts and each other along the way. All-in-all, this place would easily fit on the New England coast.
As he strolled past the shopfronts, he noticed a group of eleven and twelve year old boys playing what appeared to be a form of stick ball. He paused momentarily to watch, grinning lopsidedly at memories of pick-up ballgames he played as a boy. The dirty-faced kids scrambled over each other like a pack of puppies, delightedly crying, "Get it!" "Watch out!" and "Wait a second!". An inadvertent kick sent the orb flying at the pilot, who deftly reached out and snagged it with his left hand. Within seconds curious kids surrounded him, looking up with questioning gazes.
"Looks like you lost something," he commented, tossing the ball back to the apparent ringleader. The sandy-blonde boy caught it easily, but was more interested in the new arrival than continuing the game. Tilting his head, he scrutinized the older man through narrowed eyes.
"You're not from around here, are you?" he finally asked.
"No, I'm not. My friends and I are staying at the lighthouse for a couple of weeks." Sheppard jerked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating the path he'd taken to town.
"What, Bellwick?" The child's eyes widened in surprise.
"But that place is haunted!" exclaimed another boy. The first shot him a look that clearly said, "Shut up", but by then a third had chimed in.
"Yeah, and that scientist died there, too."
"He was weird."
"Bet the ghost got him!"
"Did not! There's no such thing as ghosts." The eldest boy tried to reassert his authority in front of the bemused adult.
"Sure there is. Everybody knows that Bellwick is haunted."
"Has anyone ever seen this ghost?" interrupted Sheppard with a raised eyebrow.
The lads shifted uncomfortably and glanced at each other, as their leader crossed his arms in triumph. Finally, jutting out his chin in defiance, a brown-eyed chubby boy pouted, "No, but I heard moaning once!"
Another chimed in, "And the lights! Sometimes at night you see them…"
At that the cacophony resumed until Sheppard finally put his fingers in his mouth and emitted a shrill whistle. Instantly everyone's attention was focussed on him again.
"Sounds…fascinating. I'll let you know if we see any spirits lurking around the place while we're there. Now, can anyone tell me where I can find the constable?"
"Sure, mister, right over there." The oldest boy pointed at a building across the street and a few doors down. "Why, are you in trouble?" he lowered his voice conspiratorially.
"Nah, just thought I'd introduce myself. Thanks." With a smile and a nod, he headed towards the indicated edifice.
A bell jingled predictably upon opening the door, and a man at a desk immediately inside raised his head. John was suddenly pinned by a pair of sharp, steel-blue eyes that scrutinized his every detail. Then the sensation was over, and a smile broke over the older man's face as he rose to greet the LTC.
The man appeared to be in his late fifties, but in better shape than a lot of thirty year old men John knew. While he had a full head of brown hair, it was liberally laced with gray, and his beard was salt-and-pepper. He stood just over six feet tall, and held himself erect like a man who knew his place in the world and was satisfied with it.
"You must be one of the strangers working up at Bellwick on ol' doc Seinlein's stuff. Welcome to Lorton! I'm Constable Cleary."
Shaking the outstretched hand, Sheppard internally marveled at the similarity of this place to Earth. "Hi. I'm Colonel John Sheppard. The Ministry of Science asked my friends to look over the research, and I'm here to make certain they stay safe. I became a little concerned when I learned that the prior scientist died…accidental, was it?"
A cloud passed briefly over the craggy features. "Yes, I'm afraid so. His experiments caused an explosion that we could hear all the way down here in the village. The door was locked, so my men and I had to break in." He shook his head and clucked his tongue, "What a mess!" Indicating the alarm monitor, he continued, "That thing goes off whenever the circuit is broken on any of the doors or windows; it didn't even peep until we shattered that window."
Sheppard quirked an eyebrow. "You're not exactly inspiring my confidence, here. It supposedly rings at the Ministry as well?"
Cleary nodded. "Yes, but it takes them a couple of hours to get here from the city. The three of us pretty much had things wrapped up by the time they arrived."
"I'm sorry; the three of you?" Sheppard only saw room for one person in the cramped office.
Cleary smiled at his confusion. "Yes, myself and my two assistants, Sgt. Sparso and Sgt. Aule. We work shifts, but when a major crime occurs we all three get called in."
"So who actually found the body?" asked Sheppard with morbid curiosity.
"Sparso. He hit the basement when we showed up to search the place. Course, he hollered to high heaven when he saw what the good doctor had done to himself. We had to clean up most of the remains with a spatula."
Sheppard winced sympathetically. "What was Seinlein doing working out here, anyway? You'd think a scientist would want to be closer to his research associates." Sheppard smiled disarmingly. "No offense, but this seems a little…remote."
"None taken," the older man replied with a chuckle. "Those of us who live here like it this way. Seinlein was the same - not much of a 'people person', if you catch my drift."
An image of McKay immediately sprang to mind. "Actually, I know exactly what you mean. I've met a few like that myself."
"Yeah, strange ducks. Bellwick seemed to suit him, though. He hardly ever ventured out of the place. Too wrapped up in his work I guess."
"I guess. The old lighthouse certainly is an interesting venue for a research lab. The boys outside seem to think it's haunted." Sheppard jerked his head in the direction of the resumed game.
The lawman chuckled and shook his head. "Kids. They'll believe anything." He stood to go back to his work. "Never seen or heard anything substantial myself, but places like that always inspire ghost stories."
"I suppose so." John flashed a winning smile. "Thanks for your time; nothing personal, but I hope we won't be needing your services."
Cleary snorted as he opened the door. "I hope you won't, either, but we're here if you do. One of the three of us mans the desk around the clock. You have a nice stay, and let me know if there are any problems."
"Thanks, I will." With that he stepped back out into the afternoon sun. Squinting down the street, he picked out the grocer's shop and started over to see what the local farms had to offer. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw a face staring at him from a window across the street, but when he turned to look, it was gone. Shrugging, he chalked it up to small-town curiosity and went on his way.
He passed the boys at the edge of town, returning their eager greetings with a smile and a friendly wave. A couple of new children had joined the game, and a slender redhead stood to the side watching, hands on hips, just waiting for his chance to jump in. Sheppard nodded to the child as well, and was rewarded with a brilliant smile as he passed by.
By the time Sheppard had hiked back up the slope to the lighthouse with his newly-acquired sack of fruits and vegetables, the threatening clouds had arrived full force, along with a cold, gusty wind that bit into his exposed skin. The first drops of rain began to splatter on the path as he unlocked the door and maneuvered his purchases inside. Slamming the door on the elements, he quickly put the bag in the kitchen so he could rub his hands together and get the circulation going again.
He became aware of Rodney and Radek arguing, even over the sound of the rain pelting down outside. Locking the front door again and keying in the security code, he headed towards the basement.
"You see? Right there!" Rodney stabbed an index finger excitedly at the screen. The two men were in practically the same positions they had assumed this morning, with McKay in front of the computer and Zelenka peering over his shoulder. John had seen the two men work together enough to know that their positions could reverse on a dime if Radek got frustrated enough to shoulder Rodney out of his way. The fact that McKay still sat at the keyboard meant they agreed on the data before them.
Radek absently shoved his glasses up his nose as he pointed to the next line in the program. "And look there. Is that interactive?" A beatific smile lit up his face.
John, feeling out of the loop, cleared his throat to announce his presence and postulated, "Sooooo…I guess Dr. Seinlein's work is worth pursuing?"
McKay was caught up in the excitement of the moment. Jumping to his feet, he gesticulated towards the viewscreen as Radek stood, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "This guy was good. He wasn't actually going to cloak the whole planet, just the inhabited regions. Simultaneously, he was planning on projecting images that made it appear the cities had already been culled."
Radek interrupted excitedly, "Any Wraith Hive ships that arrived would just assume that another beat them to the punch, and go away."
Sheppard nodded, lower lip protruding. "Clever….Can you make it work?"
"I think so," began McKay with uncharacteristic hesitancy, visibly deflating.
"Definitely," reassured Zelenka. He rocked back and forth on his heels. John mentally shook his head; it wasn't often that Zelenka was the optimist of the pair. With any luck Rodney was learning a little caution after blowing up that solar system, he thought with satisfaction.
"Well, I'll leave you two to it, then." Jerking a thumb towards the stairs, he continued, "Also, if you guys don't object, I don't often get a chance to cook anymore…"
Radek shot him a grateful smile. "Dinner would be appreciated."
TBC….