Chapter 7: Atlantis in flight.
John awoke sometime in the middle of the night to the sound of someone puffing and panting as if they'd run a marathon. He lay there and listened for a while longer and then the noise stopped, he was getting ready to settle down and go back to sleep, when an ear-splitting scream invaded his senses. Rolling over in his sleeping bag he looked over at Shalite and soon realised that she was wide awake and sobbing.
Looking over at Joe and Rodney he saw that they were still sleeping and that was another strange thing, for some reason holograms felt the need to sleep, at least the McKay hologram did.
Shalite was still sobbing, so he quickly got out of his sleeping bag and went and put his arms around her to try and offer her some comfort. He suspected that she'd had another nightmare and it was just as bad as the others that she had described to him.
"Shalite a you alright?" He asked her gently, while still holding her close. For some reason he felt as close to her as he did to Teyla and he was determined to not let anything happen to her, he had failed Teyla, but he was not going to fail her.
"I just keep seeing that same grotesque face and I have had the same dream three nights this week. If what you say is true and this wraith is trying to contact me, I want to know why?" She sobbed even harder.
He never was comfortable with distraught woman, which was one of the reasons his marriage to Nancy had failed, because he couldn't express his emotions or handle hers. It had always been different with Teyla though, he was really learning to express his emotions with her, and he'd certainly expressed them when he'd found out that she was pregnant with another man's child. He didn't talk to her for weeks, until he'd realised that he was being an idiot and she needed a friend not a judgmental jerk.
"Don't worry Shalite, I will help you find out what's happening and Joe and Rodney will help as well." He told her stroking her hair."
"Thankyou John, will you sit next to me until I go to sleep again?"
As he helped her lie back down, he smelt her hair and it smelt every bit as good as Teyla's did. "Just lay back down and I will sit with you for a while."
Once she had laid down again and closed her eyes, he chastised himself, there was absolutely no way he should be getting close to her, she was having another man's baby, but then so was Teyla; at least she would have if the timeline had continued the way it should have. Perhaps he would allow himself the opportunity to be close to someone, but then he didn't want to hurt her.
Looking down at her, he realised that she was fast asleep again, so he quietly went back to his sleeping bag and climbed inside.
It had been a week since they had been banished from the Phoenix and Atlantis was almost ready to fly. The plan was to leave in two days' time and then they should reach their destination 48 hours after that.
Shalite had been having nightmares for most of the week and he suspected that Michael was somehow still alive and was trying to probe her mind, for what purpose he had no idea. He had mentioned it to Rodney the day before and he had agreed and they had both decided that they really needed to keep an eye out. For now, though he was going to keep an eye on her, because no matter what happened he was a soldier and his job was to protect people and he would do that whatever time he was living in.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Tuart was walking down a dark passage way, which had strange tendrils growing on the walls, he had no idea where he was or why he was here, but the place seemed vaguely familiar. It reminded him of the stories that Sharlite had told him from around the time of the great war. It was just like a wraith ship, that she had described to him.
He continued on in silence unable to speak or make a sound, his whole body was shaking and he was afraid. He had no idea what he was going to find, but still he kept going.
There was someone up ahead and he wondered if they might be able to tell him where he was or what was going on, so he picked up his pace and continued to walk towards his goal.
He arrived at the place where the person was standing and tapped him on the shoulder, when he turned around he was horrified at the hideous half human, half wraith staring back at him.
A strange voice permeated the silence. "ah, Tuart I'm so glad that we finally get a chance to meet."
Finally, he found his voice and yelled…
He awoke with a start to find that there was sweat dripping down his face and he was breathing so heavily that he thought that he'd run a marathon. Looking around he realised that Shalite wasn't in bed with him and he started to panic. What had happened to her, had someone taken her? But then he remembered that she had left him nearly a week ago now, she had left with the interloper from the past and he still wasn't happy about it. He had no idea what the time was, but one thing he did know was that he didn't want to go back to sleep, because he never wanted to see that face again. He was sure that it was just a nightmare, but still it was very unnerving.
Looking at the clock on his bedside table he realised that it was probably time to get up and start the day. He needed to be on the bridge in an hour, so he might as well get up and have some breakfast.
While he was starting to get dressed he remembered what Shalite had told him the day before she'd left, she had told him about a nightmare that she'd had and it sounded very similar to the one that he'd just experienced. Was it a coincidence or was someone trying to connect with his mind, just as John Sheppard had suggested?
Putting the thought out of his head for now, he finished dressing and left his quarters heading for the mess hall for his breakfast.
He was expected to meet with the Louisan council in two days' time, to give an update on what was happening with Sheppard and his friends, but now Shalite had left with John, he was finding himself reluctant to attend that meeting. Because as much as he resented Sheppard for filling Shalite's heads with all sorts of lies, he still loved her with all of his heart and he didn't want anything to happen to her.
Perhaps he would disappear and refuse to attend the meeting, because if John Sheppard and his quest to be returned to his own time was important to Shalite, maybe he should support her in that.
That was one of many things he had to consider for the next two days, he sensed that Roget was beginning to feel the same way as well. Could he possibly be wrong about John Sheppard? That was also something for him to think about at another time since he was due on the bridge in half and hours' time.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Carson stood in the centre of Michaels lab, he had been working on Michaels experiments for almost a week now. Luckily the work he was doing didn't include experimenting on humans, but he suspected at some point in the near future that it would and he was really beginning to dread what would happen if he refused to help him. On one hand he didn't care, because all of his friends were long dead and they had turned to dust a long time ago, but on the other hand, if John was trapped in this time period, he knew that he needed to do everything that he could to help him get back to the past and kill Michael off.
His contemplation was interrupted when Michael entered the room, "Dr Beckett how are you going with your work?"
Carson wasn't impressed at being disturbed, the more Michael left him alone the better he felt, "I am doing what you have asked me to do and I am doing it as quickly as I can, so if you'll kindly leave me alone I will get back to it!?" He told him in a matter of fact tone.
"I don't need your attitude Doctor; just remember I can kill you and clone another copy of you at any point!" Michael told him forcefully.
He sighed, knowing that he needed to appear loyal, so that he could bide his time, look for an escape route and then he could find John, "I am sorry Michael the experiments are going well, you should be able to create your hybrids again when the time is right."
"I have found a couple of humans not unlike your friend and her partner Kanaan, they are having a child, if I can have access to their child, my work will be finished a lot quicker. Their DNA is much weaker that Teyla's was, but I believe it will be strong enough for what I need it for."
Carson just stood and stared at him trying to think over the connotations of what he had just heard. Basically, from what Michael was saying was that some other poor couple and their child were going to suffer, just so Michael and his ego could become great again, "have you managed to be in contact with them?"
"Yes, and I sense that the male and his spaceship are near, If I can capture his ship, I will be able to find his mate and her child."
Carson rolled his eyes, he really hoped that somehow, John was on that ship and he could help the crew fight back, "How long before we reach them?"
"I feel that we should catch up with them within the next twenty-four hours or so."
"Well I must get back to work now Michael, so if you can kindly leave me alone, so I can finish what you have asked me to do?" Carson was a little afraid that Michael would call him out on his attitude again, but he just turned around and left the lab.
Once Carson was sure that Michael had left the lab, he turned back to his work and started to think of ways that he could sabotage it without Michael knowing about it. He had no idea why Michael felt he needed to rule over galaxies again, surly he'd had his time? Wasn't he sick and tired of it all or was he still an evil narcissist, who was only interested in his own huge ego and didn't know when to quit? The one thing he did know was that he needed to be stopped and if he couldn't be stopped in the past, then he certainly needed to be stopped now.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
John awoke the next morning to find the gateroom bathed in the same menacing red light that it had been for the last week and he was definitely beginning to grow sick and tired of waking up to it every day. Hopefully today would be the last day that he would have to put up with it, as today was the day that they were planning on moving Atlantis. Shalite and Joe had done all the exploring they wanted to do for now and were both excited to see Atlantis fly. Hologram Rodney was excited to see it as well, because although his creator had seen the city fly, he had never been programmed with those memories.
Looking around the room, he wasn't at all surprised the find that Shalite was sitting next to him drinking her tea, "good morning Shalite, how are you feeling this morning?"
"I slept really well thankyou John." She replied and John sensed the she was more relaxed than she had been the last couple of mornings.
Suddenly he felt embarrassed, although they had not spoken of the night where he had held her while she sobbed, it had certainly created and air of tension between them. If he wasn't so desperate to get back to his own time period he might have thought of pursuing a relationship with her, but even if he did, he definitely wasn't going to do it while she was married to another man.
"Umm… I'm glad you're feeling well." He told her and looked down at his hands.
"And how are you feeling this morning John?" Shalite asked him and John could hear the nervousness in her voice.
"I'm good."
He was relieved when Rodney walked up and started talking to him, "hey sleepyhead, are you going to get up this morning, or are you going to sleep all day. We still have a lot of work to do before we leave, so come and have some coffee and I'll meet you in the chair room in one hour."
"Okay see you then McKay." After Rodney had left he turned to Shalite who was still sitting next to him, "Umm… do you mind disappearing while I get dressed. I was so hot last night that I slept with only a t-shirt and my boxer shorts on."
"I'll give you five minutes and then I will come back to have breakfast with you." She said with a twinkle in her big brown eyes.
Once he was sure that she had disappeared he got out of his sleeping bag and quickly pulled his pants and shirt on. He was looking forward to being able to fly the city again, since he had only ever had the chance to do it once and it had been one of the most exhilarating experiences of his life. Last time he flew her, he was doing it to save the inhabitants of the city, this time he was doing it to save the city.
Shalite arrived back in the gate room and sat down at the table two minutes later, which made him grateful that he was able to get dressed so quickly.
"Come on John, Joe and Rodney have made us bacon and eggs this morning and as promised, Rodney has made you a big cup of coffee."
"Thanks, Shalite," he said as he went and sat with her at the table.
"How long until you're ready to move the city John?"
"We should be ready in about two hours' time and I can't wait to get off of this rock." His eyes misted over as he thought about his home, "if I ever get to go home, I will be coming to this planet again, but it will be vibrant and alive again."
He felt Shalite's hand on top of his, "I promise, if I can help you find a way home I will."
He cleared his throat feeling uncomfortable again, "where is Joe this morning?" He asked changing the subject.
"He went down to the chair room with Rodney, he has always had an interest in science and engineering, so he wants to find out as much about Atlantis' systems as possible."
"Wow, Rodney must be impressed by that. A medical Doctor who is not just a doctor of Voodoo medicine." John quipped.
"Yes, Rodney was most impressed this morning when he offered to go to the chair room with him."
John rubbed his eyes, despite the fact that he'd had a good night's sleep, he was still feeling tired for some reason. "Why didn't you guys wake me up earlier, I would have gone with Rodney?"
"We all agreed that we should let you sleep, because you are the only one who can fly the city and you will need to be stuck in the chair for two days."
"The last time I had to move her, I wasn't stuck in the chair for that long, so it was easy, but I must admit to feeling a little bit nervous this time, as connecting with Atlantis usually leaves me pretty much drained." He told her stifling a yawn.
"Do you think that you should go back to sleep for a little while, I'm sure Rodney and Joe can finish the last-minute checks on the systems?" Shalite suggested.
"No, I'm alright and I really need to be in the chair to initialise some of the final systems."
"What do I need to be doing while you are flying the city?" Shalite asked him.
"All you need to do is relax and enjoy the ride. If you want once we are in space and we're sure the shield is holding, you may want to go out on one of the balconies and enjoy the view. Ask Joe to go with you, McKay can stay with me and keep an eye on the systems."
"I can't wait, never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to see this city fly. Sure, it has always been a dream of mine to see Atlantis, but I never imagined that it would ever be able to fly again." She took a deep breath before continuing, "Thank you John, thank you for wanting to save Atlantis for future generations."
"You're welcome Shalite." He told her feeling a little less embarrassed than he had all morning. He stood up and thought about heading to the chair room, "I have to go now, but I will send Joe up to keep you company. When Rodney and I have finished we can all have lunch together, before we leave this planet."
He took one last look at her, before turning and heading to the chair room. He had grown fond of her over the last week and he knew that he would do anything for her, but then he would do anything for Joe and Rodney as well, in a way they had become his closest friends, his team and it felt good.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Rodney and Joe were deep in conversation when John entered the chair room and Rodney looked up when he entered, "ah Sheppard, about time you got here," he said in the typical McKay acerbic tone.
"I'm sorry McKay I thought that you wanted me to have as much rest as possible, considering that I'm going to be flying this city for the next two days," he said sarcastically, before rolling his eyes.
"Yes, yes, well why don't you just sit in the chair and then we can get to work," Rodney said totally oblivious to John's Sarcasm.
Before he sat down John turned to Joe, "Shalite is still in the gate room, if you want to go and keep her company."
Rodney stood patiently while John spoke to Joe and he was relieved that he didn't stop to speak to him for too long.
Once Joe had left the room and John had sat down in the chair, he got to work on doing the final checks, with John's help.
"Okay Sheppard, can you check and make sure the shield is operating effectively."
A second later the specs came up on screen and he was happy to see that all seemed to be well with them.
"Star-drive next."
The specks for the star-drive came up on the screen and he was happy to see that system was in order as well.
They continued on with checking the systems for the next hour and by that time Rodney was convinced that everything was in order to take-off after lunch, "okay Sheppard everything looks to be in order, so let's go and have lunch."
He waited until John sat up and cleared his head, before giving him a hand to get out of the chair and within a few minutes they were heading towards the control room to have their final lunch on the planet.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
After a lunch of soup and toast John and Rodney were back in the chair room again. John really wished that he could have a rest before he had to fly the city, but he knew if he didn't try now, they would have to wait for another day and as far as he was concerned the quicker they got off this rock the better.
"Are you ready Sheppard?" Rodney asked interrupting his thoughts.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
When Rodney nodded at him, he sat in the chair, leant back, closed his eyes and initialised the star drive. Very soon a rumbling sound came from below the city. A few minutes later the city was rising from the desolate red planet, two minutes in and John was happy to see that the shield was still active and at full power. Five minutes later they hit the upper atmosphere and were in space.
Once they were in space, he concentrated and activated the city's hyper-drive and jumped into hyperspace. Travelling through hyperspace required less concentration than taking off or landing, so he relaxed a little and settled in for the long journey ahead.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Shalite and Joe were sitting in the area which used to be the mess hall when the star drive activated.
For a moment she felt afraid, "Do you know what that is?" She asked Joe.
He smiled at her and patted her hand, "don't worry Shalite, I believe it's the star-drive powering up."
Shalite sat looking out of the window, as the city slowly rose from the surface and it was one of the most exciting things that she had ever experienced in her life. She sat in silence with Joe holding her hand for about five minutes and before she had a chance to blink, they were in space and the ominous light from the red giant became more intense. "Wow was all that she could say, before the city picked up speed and entered hyperspace.
She decided that she would sit and look out of the window as the city travelled through space and she was immensely grateful that Joe had decided to stay with her, because although they had been here for over a week, the city still freaked her out a little bit. It was huge and despite the fact that they had managed to get it flying again a lot of areas were still in a state of disrepair. She knew that the archaeological academy would need to spend many years bringing it back to its former glory, but that is a job that she would be happy to take on, that is if they still wanted her to work with them and she didn't end up in jail.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Michael watched as his servant Carson worked, he knew that he was a good worker and a gifted scientist, but he also suspected that Carson would betray him in an instant if the opportunity arose. He knew that Carson was still loyal to the people of Atlantis and the humans of the Pegasus galaxy even though 50,000 years had passed. Despite the fact that Carson was a clone, he was still so much like the original Carson Beckett.
Eventually Carson would have to go, but would he kill him, or would he just let him go. He knew that was a decision for another day, perhaps he would use Carson until he found John Sheppard. For some reason that Michael could never understand, he could always feel Sheppard's presence and he knew that he was near, along with the woman who was carrying the child that he needed to fulfil his plans. A ship carrying the child's father was nearby, so perhaps if he could find the father of the child, he'd be able to find the woman.
He took one last look at the Carson clone and decided that for now he would keep him alive, but when his plan was complete, he would have no problems with destroying him.
TBC…