Tayla picked up the amber from Dr Weir's desk. She peered into it.
"On my world we once thought this was how life began, but we learned it was not the beginning of a life, it was the end. It remains beautiful, though."
Weir nodded, watching the other woman replace the stone.
"I've had it for years."
Elizabeth closed her eyes and leant back in her chair. The twenty three survivors from the Wraith ship were recovering well, but had no idea what the probe was.
The intercom beeped and the air was filled by Dr Beckett's soft Scottish voice.
"Dr Weir, could you come to the infirmary please?"
Sheppard was also on the way to the infirmary when he bumped into Zelinka and McKay jabbering excitedly at each other. They stopped in front of him and were gurning with excitement. Sheppard thought they only needed one more for a set of brainiac Stooges and resisted poking McKay in the eye.
"What's up?" He asked, hoping he would understand the answer.
"We can't probe the, er, probe!" exclaimed McKay.
"And this makes you happy, because…?"
McKay closed his eyes and began to explain very slowly, using his hand for emphasis.
"It means it's not known to our, or even the Ancient's, science! We tried everything, infrared, ultraviolet, some stuff that would make your nose bleed if I tried to explain it and nothing! When, and I mean when, we open the probe, it is bound to have lots and lots of super new technology that could help us against our sundry and varied enemies."
"You're sure you can open it?"
"Well, we haven't yet, but I'm sure we, or rather I, will be able to shortly."
"Rodney won't let me use the blowtorch." said Zelinka sadly, cleaning his glasses.
McKay sighed.
"Forgive me, Radek, for wanting to use a little finesse in opening the thing so we don't damage the massively important – no doubt – technology within!"
"So this is like, I don't know, a technology piñata?", said Sheppard.
The scientist rubbed his eyes, feeling his excitement ebb in the face of such obtuseness.
"Yes, yes. That is exactly what it is. It's a technological piñata, with lots of super surprises inside."
Dr Carson Beckett looked at Rodney, Elizabeth and John as they peered at the Wraith corpse on the table. Aware of the sensibilities of the people gathered, a white sheet covered the body.
"I apologize in advance for this." He removed the sheet.
"What am I looking at?" said Sheppard peering and trying to make a pattern in the pink and grey mess.
McKay peered over, feeling himself go a little pale at the smell and the sight.
"It just looks like a kind of brawn. My mother made brawn." He trailed off.
"Exactly!" Said the Doctor. "When I opened it up, I found the entire internal structures have been completely scrambled."
"Who do we know who has weapons can do that?"
Sheppard shrugged.
"I don't know Elizabeth, I don't do autopsies in the middle of battle."
"I've not seen anything like this. This has never happened to any of our fallen, I'm certain." The doctor covered up the corpse.
McKay moved forward a little.
"I'll have a look at the database and send a message to Thor, see if he knows anything that can do this, or if he recognizes the probe."
"Good idea Rodney," said Elizabeth. "Send the information to Stargate Command too, see if anything from our galaxy could do it or knows anything about what we found."
"Pass me the blowtorch."
Zelinka very carefully said nothing has he passed the equipment to Rodney. Nothing subtle had worked and now they must attempt a little brute force. If this worked, then he would say something. Oh yes, thought the Czech, something would be said.
McKay flicked the protective visor down and after 30 minutes, turned off the gas and threw down the torch.
"Not a scratch." He put his hand closer and closer to the metal until he risked a quick dab of a finger tip.
"It's barely warm." He rubbed his face. What else was there? Acid? I suppose I could try it along the base, but it would have to be a viciously strong acid and the fumes could damage any delicate machinery within. It must be a last resort, thought Rodney.
"We could try acid next." Suggested Zelinka.
Rodney was looking at his bedroom ceiling thinking of ways to break an unbreakable nut, when the intercom chirped by his bed. He ignored it once.
"What?" he barked.
A member of the night crew spoke;
"Something is downloading our... Correction! Something has downloaded our entire database, sir."
"What all of it? Already?
"Yes sir, I called you the moment I detected it and that was less than 2 minutes ago, sir."
"I'll be right there."
Weir wearily put down the coffee on her desk.
"Forgive my nightwear, Rodney, but you said it was super urgent."
Rodney, who was examining the far wall with all his might, coughed.
"Yes, our database was downloaded by someone or something a short time ago."
"Who? And how did they get past our computer security?"
"I don't know and I really don't know." He was glad to be looking at his trusty tablet which in no way was pink and fluffy. "But, if you wait a moment, I'll be able to tell you where they… " He paused to press a few buttons. He looked at Elizabeth, open eyed and open mouthed.
"Oh no."
"Rodney, tell me."
"I think our probe is probing."
McKay waved his useless tablet around the probe. Still nothing. The two armed Marines Elizabeth had insisted on for no reason he could see stood around looking bored and professional.
"What are you looking for?" He asked the probe. The probe did not reply.
"You getting anything?" asked Elizabeth over the radio.
"Still nothing."
"Was it looking for anything in particular?"
"Oh, how in Heaven's… " He paused, realizing Dr Weir was his superior. "I don't know, since it took the entire database."
He snapped his fingers three times.
"Wait. Wait a minute."
"Rodney?"
That was hardly a minute, thought McKay, bitterly.
"I think I can tell you in what order the probe downloaded information."
Rodney could hear the unformed question coming.
"If it took our defence information first, say, we could expect an attack, maybe. If it took our communication protocols first it may want to send a message. It's not going to be an exact science, but it may give us a clue."
The scientist's fingers danced over his tablet. After a few moments, he frowned.
"Elizabeth? The first few things it took where Astronomical Maps, Navigation subroutines and Historical Records."
"And that means?"
"I really don't know."