Chapter 4: Visitors from the future.

Teyla stared at her adult son, and she couldn't believe her eyes, he seemed ten years older than he had when she'd seen him a few days ago. What was even weirder was that she'd just left baby Torren on New Athos with his father – well Kanaan anyway, John Sheppard was his dad, but she still called Kanaan his father.

"I think that I must leave now," Todd hissed," I will be in touch soon, my Queen and Torren Sheppard."

She glared at him," Todd, I told you to never call me that."

Todd just smiled, showing his crooked yellow teeth before he left John's room.

She looked down at John and realised that he was sleeping peacefully for now. She was about to say something to Torren when Carson came running into the room. He immediately started to take John's vitals, he then looked at the EEG readouts and sighed.

"How is he?" Torren asked the doctor.

"And who are you?"

"Sorry Doctor, I'm Torren Sheppard and I'm from approximately sixty years in the future and a different reality and John Sheppard is my Dad."

"Right your Teyla's son and you're all grown up. Anyway, Colonel Sheppard seems to be sleeping soundly, his own brain pattern seems to be the dominant one at the moment."

Teyla finally decided to sit down next to John, "that is good news, Dr Beckett, I think I'll sit with him for a while."

"Sure, go ahead Lassie, I'll be in my office if you need me."

Torren pulled up a chair on the other side of John, "I'll sit with him for a while – well at least until Dave shows up."

Teyla looked at him with confusion, "You brought a child with you and how did you get here anyway?"

"Yes, that's what I'd like to know," Ronon said from the doorway and when she looked up, she realised that Lorne and Dave were standing beside him.

"Dave!" She exclaimed before jumping up to hug him. He was now a grown man, so obviously more time had passed for Torren and Dave than it had for her and John. Dave looked as handsome as John and she imagined that was probably what her John looked like at around age twenty.

"Hey, where's my hug Mom?" Torren asked with a forlorn look on his face.

She stood up and hugged her son and she held him close as she never expected to see this version of Torren again. When she finally let go, she studied him for a while, he was a little rounder than when she'd last seen him, his once brown hair was streaked with grey and there was definitely a few more lines around his eyes. Eventually, she stopped staring at him, sat down and held John's hand again.

Lorne cleared his throat from behind them, "so is someone going to tell me what's going on?"

"I think that you need to go and get Mr Woolsey and Dr McKay and I want to wait until Dad wakes up before I tell you anything," Torren stated and Teyla didn't miss the determination in his big brown eyes.

"I will go and contact Woolsey," Lorne told them before leaving the room.

"I'll go and get Carson and Rodney," Ronon informed them before following.

A moan from the bed caught his attention and Torren leaned down and whispered in John's ear, "Dad it's me and we've come from the future because we desperately need your help to change the timeline."

Teyla watched for signs that John would awaken but she was disappointed when he didn't open his eyes as she really wanted to know what was going on and she sensed that Torren wouldn't speak until John was awake.

Carson came in the room a few minutes later and he didn't look happy, "what's this I hear about you trying to conduct a meeting in my infirmary? I don't want anyone but the three of you here with my patient do you understand? When I feel that Colonel Sheppard is well enough, he can go to the conference room for a meeting."

Torren nodded his head as did she, while Dave walked up to Carson and held his hand out, "Hi I'm David Sheppard and another version of John Sheppard was my father."

"Please don't talk to me about time travel and alternate realities," Carson told him while rubbing his forehead, "It always gives me a headache. The person you need to talk to is Dr Rodney McKay, but you can't talk to him while you're in with Colonel Sheppard because my patient needs to rest."

"I'll go and look for him then," Dave said before standing up and leaving the room.

"Looks like it's just you and me Mom."

"Can you tell me what went on when we left Sheppard's planet?"

A voice whispered from the bed, "Yeah, I'd like to know that as well."

"Dad you're awake."

Teyla watched as John tried to sit up in bed and he didn't seem to be having much success – although she was sure if he tried hard enough, he would probably get out of the bed – so instead of watching him struggle she helped him raise the head of the bed.

She sensed he was in pain as he spoke, "Torren are you going to tell me why you're here and more to the point how the hell did you get here?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I want to know," Woolsey said as he walked into the room followed by Rodney, Ronon, Lorne and Dave.

Before Torren had a chance to continue Carson came running back into the room, "Torren I told you that I didn't want a conference in my infirmary, so I want everyone out except for Torren and Teyla – Dave can stay too if he wants to."

"Doc I'm fine, so why don't you let Torren and Dave tell their story and then I promise I'll go back to sleep like a good patient," John growled and she could see that he was in considerable pain.

Carson looked worried, but she sensed that he was going to give in, "alright you have ten minutes and not a minute more. Colonel Sheppard is in pain, and he needs his rest."

John turned and smiled at the doctor, although to Teyla it looked more like a grimace, "how about you stay too doc?"

When Carson nodded, they all pulled up chairs and congregated around John's bed. Teyla could hardly believe what she had heard so far – that Torren wanted help to change the timeline, but at what point did it go wrong? Was it when the hive ship was sucked into the anomaly fifty years in the future – did that event actually change the past, therefore, alter the present and future events? The whole concept was giving her a headache – oh how she hated quantum physics.

It wasn't long before all eyes were on Torren as he began to tell his story and she was sure that Dave would fill in anything that Torren missed, "After you guys left, we managed to shut down the anomaly assuming that you had gotten back to your own time."

"We only got back two days ago," John informed him.

"So where am I then?" Torren asked with interest.

"You are on New Athos with Kanaan, although you don't understand why you had to go and see a man you hardly knew," John grumbled and Teyla sensed how unhappy he was about it.

"Gentlemen," Woolsey chastised," can we get back on topic."

"Sorry," Torren said before continuing with his story," anyway within a week we managed to get the gate online and bring in reinforcements from Atlantis. For the next five years, Maddie and I went between Atlantis and Arastica with the children. Eventually, Charlie and Dave went off to earth to go to College, where Dave studied astrophysics and Charlie studied medicine…."

Before Torren had a chance to continue Dave interrupted, "I graduated top of my class just last year. Well, just last year from my perspective."

"anyway," Torren continued, "About three years ago I decided that I wanted to study the anomaly, so Maddie and I moved to Arastica for good. I had a team of scientists with me initially, but eventually, it was only me and two others – apparently, a few people thought I was a bit obsessed with my goal."

Teyla almost laughed when Dave rolled his eyes, and she could see that John was trying not to laugh.

"Although this is a lovely story," Rodney interjected, "that still doesn't explain why you are both here."

"I was just getting to that Dr McKay," Torren stated firmly, "two years ago I discovered that the ancients on Arastica were not only trying to create a stable wormhole to travel in time, but they were also trying to find a way to scan timelines and realities. So, for the next three years, I worked to find a way to use the anomaly effectively to travel through time and I also finished the ancients' research on reading timelines and alternate realities. Six months ago, Dave came to work with me and about a month ago we found what we were looking for."

"And your point is?" Rodney asked with impatience.

"We have determined that the hive ship that was sucked through the anomaly, when you were on Sheppard's planet landed on the planet ten thousand years ago and that event has changed Atlantis' past, present and future."

John's eyes were wide as he obviously realised what that meant, "so that means that there are super drones in the past that weren't there before? That's going to change the whole future of the galaxy, that's if it hasn't changed already?"

"I'm sorry, did you say super drones?" Lorne asked with confusion.

"Yeah, one of these super drones fed on me and when they feed, they give a bigger dose of the enzyme to their victims, which makes it more painful and it also makes it easier for a person to become addicted to the enzyme and believe me when I say withdrawal from that's a bitch."

"So, in other words, Colonel Sheppard's actions in the future have changed to past?" Woolsey surmised while glaring at John.

"Hey!" John exclaimed, "in my defence, I was too busy firing on the drones and trying to stop Arastica from being destroyed to pay much attention to where and when the Hive ship ended up."

Woolsey sighed, "Whether it was an accident or not what are we going to do about it?"

Before Dave or Torren had a chance to tell them their plan Carson interrupted, "right now you're going to leave my infirmary and go and get some sleep. Colonel Sheppard is almost asleep, and he needs his rest. I will allow Colonel Sheppard to attend a meeting in Mr Woolsey's office in the morning providing he is stable and before anyone complains, I can get the CMO to make life difficult for anyone who refuses."

Lorne grabbed Torren and Dave by the arm, "Come on how about I find you guys some quarters."

Teyla watched as her friends left one by one and when they had all left, she turned to look at John and she soon realised that he was sleeping peacefully, so she turned to Carson and smiled, "do you mind if I sit with him, Carson? I can sleep on the other bed if I feel tired."

Carson looked at her long and hard and it made her feel incredibly uncomfortable, "have you two finally admitted your feelings for one another?"

She looked at John and blushed, "yes, we have. It happened in the future, and we have not told too many people as yet. We told Ronon and Rodney right before John was injured by the sea creature, but we have not had time to discuss it with Mr Woolsey as yet."

"Congratulations, your secret is safe with me and if you want to stay, you can curl up on the other bed if you are tired. I think I will try and get some rest in my office, and I will see you in the morning that's if you don't need anything before then."

"Goodnight then Carson."

"Goodnight Teyla."

She watched as her friend left the room, and once she was sure that he had gone, she curled up on the bed next to John's. She lay staring at him for a while until she felt her eyelids drooping and although there was a lot for her to think about it wasn't long before she fell into a deep sleep.

oOo

Sheppard's planet was as wonderful as he remembered it. The day was sunny and warm, and the primary sun was high in the sky as John walked along the well-worn path by the river. He had no idea how he'd ended up on the planet again, so he decided to head towards the cabin where he'd stayed in the future – perhaps he would find answers there. Arriving at the area where the cabin was supposed to be he was surprised to find that the cabin wasn't there, and neither were the extensive gardens that Sheppard and the other Teyla had established in the years that they had lived on the planet.

Perplexed by the situation, he turned and started to walk towards the field where Sheppard and Teyla's crashed jumper was and as he got closer to the spot where it should have been, he was surprised to find that there was no sign of it. But everything seemed different somehow, newer fresher and the grass that was once dry and yellow seemed much lusher and greener.

In the distance, he spied Arastica and for some reason, it wasn't cloaked, so he started to walk towards the once-great city. As he approached the magnificent city, he was surprised to see that it looked new and whole again and there appeared to be people inhabiting her. Jumpers flew into the docking bay that he had found when he was in the future. The only question was – was he dreaming?

Suddenly the sky overhead became dark, so he went with his instinct and looked up. The first thing he saw was an anomaly being formed and the next thing he saw was a hive ship coming through and he was fairly sure it was the one that he had sent through the anomaly when he was in the future – although he couldn't be sure….

oOo

A loud throaty moan invaded her senses and for a moment Teyla wondered where she was. She wasn't too happy to be awakened from her deep slumber by the annoying sound, so she just kept her eyes closed and hoped that it would go away. As she became more cognizant, she realised that she was lying on a bed in the infirmary and John was the one moaning from the next bed over.

In an instant, she was out of the bed and by his side and it didn't take her long to realise that he was having a seizure. Trying to hold his head and arms down she pressed to call button, but the monitors that were screaming had already alerted Carson that something was wrong, so he was already in the room.

She watched as Carson emptied something into John's IV and thankfully, he stopped convulsing, "what is happening?"

"The other brain pattern seems to have taken over for a while, but it seems to have diminished for now and John's brain pattern has become more dominant again."

"So, what happens now Carson?"

"I think that we need to go to Arastica because right now I have no clue as to what's causing this or what to do about it."

"Will he be well enough to attend a meeting tomorrow morning?"

"Again, I don't see as if we have much of a choice."

She looked around the infirmary and for the first time she realised that she had no idea what time it was, "what time is it, Carson?"

"It's about 0300 hours and Woolsey has called a meeting for 0900 hours in the morning. So, I suggest you try and get some more sleep. Oh, and Lorne wanted you to know that Dave and Torren have both been assigned quarters and they have a plan to fix things, which they will discuss with us all at the meeting tomorrow morning."

Nodding her head at her friend and doctor, she took one last look at John, before returning to the bed beside his.

"I think that I will try and go back to sleep until breakfast then."

"Goodnight then Luv, hopefully, Colonel Sheppard will be alright until morning and I can get some rest as well."

Once Carson had left the room she curled up on the other bed. She lay awake for a long while wondering what Torren and Dave's plan was, she suspected that it involved time travel, but she wasn't quite sure that she was interested in a trip to the past to fix something that was caused by a future event. She knew that there was no choice really as this reality had been changed – although why couldn't this become an alternate reality. Thoughts of time travel and alternate realities were driving her crazy, so it wasn't long before she fell into a deeply troubled sleep.

oOo

John watched as the Hive shipped came through the anomaly and started to fall towards the planet and he knew that if he didn't move the thing would land on top of him, so he immediately started to run towards the river, suspecting that he'd have a greater chance of getting to safety if he headed in that direction than if he headed towards Arastica.

Behind him, he heard explosions and it didn't take him long to realise that someone on Arastica was firing drones at the ship.

Eventually, he reached the river and turned around to see that drones were indeed being fired on the ship. It took only minutes for it to crash to the ground sending billows of smoke and a wall of fire into the sky. The once brilliant blue sky was now a cloud of smoke and he had to cover his mouth and nose to stop himself from breathing it in.

In the distance, he could hear Wraith drones screaming as they tried to escape the fiery inferno. He hoped that the ship would burn up and that there would be nothing left for the ancients on Arastica to have to deal with. He was disappointed when a minute later the sky opened up and the rain started to pour down in torrents.

The rain came down steadily for about an hour and by the time it had finished the fire was completely out – much to his chagrin. He was totally drenched, and the sun was going down, so he knew that he probably needed to find some shelter for the night. He knew that there was no way he would be able to get to the other side of the river to find the cave that he had found the jumper in when he was in the future, so he decided that his best bet was to head towards Arastica and hopefully he would be able to find shelter there.

As he walked down the well-worn path beside the river – well it wasn't as well worn as it was in the future – the wind was whistling through the trees, the suns had gone down by this time and there was only one moon in the sky, which created a dim light through the haze of smoke that was hanging over the post-apocalyptic landscape. The air was thick with smoke and a distinct burnt smell invaded his nostrils and he entered the field where the Hive ship had crashed and burned. He shuddered at the sight in front of him because in the distance he could see Wraith super drones staggering towards Arastica and it was obvious that they were after a meal.

He continued on, through the smoke-filled haze and could barely see in front of him. He got the shock of his life when a Wraith appeared in front of him with its hand outstretched, he tried to run away, but his feet were glued to the ground and just as the wraith began to feed, he screamed….

He awoke to the sound of his own scream and there was sweat streaming down his face. The heart monitor announced to the world that his heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest and to top it all off he felt nauseous.

A soft voice pervaded his thoughts, and he did his best to focus on it, hoping that it would quell his nausea.

"John are you alright."

He felt a soft silky hand in his and he instantly knew who it was, "Teyla," he whispered.

"Yes John, I am here as is Carson."

"How are you feeling Laddie?" Carson asked, "did you have a nightmare?"

Looking at Carson he shook his head, which did nothing for the pain that was lancing through his temple, "no that's not it, I'm not sure what's happening, but I need to talk to Torren straight away."

"John you can speak to Torren in the morning at the meeting, but now you need to get some more rest!" Carson suggested forcefully.

"No!" John replied equally as forcefully, "I need to talk to Torren now. I think that the other pattern over my brain is Arastica trying to communicate with me."

"Even if that is true John, it is 0500 hours and Torren is asleep. And since we cannot do anything about the timeline right now. It does not matter when we fix it, so perhaps you should go back to sleep, and we can discuss it in the morning."

He knew that she was right and perhaps if he went back to sleep, Arastica might show him how things unfolded in the past, "I guess you're right Teyla."

"How's the pain Colonel and don't lie to me because I can see the pain lines around your eyes."

"A jackhammer seems to be rearranging my skull doc, are you happy now doc?"

"I'll give you something for that in a minute and while I'm at it, how's the nausea?"

"Honestly, Doc it's settled down for now."

"Okay, I'll give you something for the pain and then I expect you to sleep until morning and after breakfast, you can go to the meeting and tell Torren your theory as to what is happening."

"Just out of interest Carson, what did the EEG say right before I woke up screaming?"

He watched as Carson checked the readouts from the EEG and a minute later his suspicions were confirmed, "aye Colonel, it looks like the other pattern was dominant for about an hour before you woke up."

"Thanks, Doc, I think I'll go back to sleep now."

Although the last vision he had – that's what he decided to call what was happening to him – was unnerving, he decided that if he went back to sleep perhaps Arastica would reveal more to him about the past. At least the part where the current reality changed.

He was relieved when Carson emptied his pain meds into his IV and within a few minutes, the pain in his head began to dissipate. It wasn't long until he felt his eyelids drooping and the last thing he heard before falling into a deep sleep was Teyla calling his name.

TBC…

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