Chapter Two

Author: roseofthegate

Disclaimer: I do not own a StarGate, StarGate SG-1's characters, StarGate Atlantis' characters, or anything that belongs to the companies that produce both programs. (If I did, there wouldn't be all this cancelling SG-1 business)

A/N: So, I know that it's been forever. AND I'm really, really sorry...life just intervenes. I've barely had time to read fanfiction, let only post...so no promises on when the next chapter's gonna be up. Again, I'm so, so sorry and completely understand it no one reviews. I mean, why review, if you don't now when (or if) I'll update. But I promise I will. It may take some time, but I will.
I'm in the middle of Exam Week currently, so no more updates this week. Sorry!
Thank you all so much for reading and please, leave me a review. I'd really appreciate it.

"What happened here, Doc?" Sheppard asked Carson Beckett after he saw how full the beds were in the Infirmary.

The Scot was about to reply when the woman on the bed coughed weakly. She was the one that Sheppard's team had brought back through the 'Gate. Beckett rushed over to her side. "Hello, there. Would ya like some water?"

"Yes, please." Her voice was raspy and faint. Sheppard, noting that she was awake, called Dr. Elizabeth Weir over the comm and asked her to come to the Infirmary. Weir arrived quickly, with a worried look on her face.

"What is it, John?" she asked.

"Our guest has just woken up. I thought you would be interested in finding out who she is with me?" Sheppard answered, not missing the worried look on Weir's face.

Weir nodded and the two approached the bed contain the woman. Beckett was still there, talking quietly with her. As they approached, he introduced them. "This is Dr. Elizabeth Weir, the leader of this City, and Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard."

The brunette smiled at them hesitantly. "Hello, I'm Ja'quena de Lutz."

"It's good to meet you, Ja'quena," Weir said. "Would you mind answering some questions?"

A look of trepidation passed through Ja'quena's emerald eyes, but she replied, "What would you like to know?"

Sheppard started, "How did you sustain those injuries?"

She closed her eyes briefly; her long eyelashes were dark against her pale cheeks. "It's a rather complicated story, but if you insist upon hearing it, I will try to make it as simple as possible." Her speech was careful and cautious.

"We do insist," Sheppard said, and Ja'quena continued.

"My father died when I was very young, so my mother and I had to find ways to survive, to earn enough money to keep our farm running and pay for my younger brother's education. However, on my wor—homeworld, women are not allowed to hold any job that has a salary that will support a family. So…after searching for job for quite some time I was approached by a trading company. They offered me a job as an undercover operative. I was to go to check on people who had borrowed money from the company and make sure that they were working toward paying off that debt. That was it. But people caught onto what I was doing, and were outraged. After I had an encounter with the town bullies, they ran me out of my town. I fled to the Ring of the Ancestors and to the first address I could think of and passed out, I think. I honestly don't know where I was when I passed out. Did you find me?"

"I did," Sheppard said shortly. "My team and I brought you back here and Doctor Beckett here's been takin' care of you."

"Thank you. I don't want to impose on you any longer. If I could have my clothing and bag back, I'll be out of your way."

"Not yet," Beckett injected. "Elizabeth, some of her injuries need more tendin' to, she canna leave yet."

"Well," Elizabeth began, "if that's the case, I guess you will be with us for a little bit longer, Ja'quena. Now, if you'll excuse Colonel Sheppard and me?"

"Of course," Ja'quena said and leaned back against her bed.

Weir and Sheppard walked out of the Infirmary together. "Does her story seem reasonable?" Elizabeth asked Sheppard.

"Reasonable enough. What happened while we were gone?" Sheppard asked, as he loosened a strap on his vest; he hadn't had the chance to change out of his mission clothes yet.

Elizabeth sobered. "We had a team of scientists and military exploring Atlantis, remember?

"Right. Led by Major Lorne and Dr. Katharine Roth. What happened?" Sheppard replied.

"They were documenting a lab and one of the scientists activated something, a stasis tube, we think, which released a creature that killed every member of that team except for Major Lorne and Dr. Roth. The thing is, those two were on the verge of being attacked and it turned away after inspecting them. And get this: they were the only two members of the team with the ATA gene."

"Wait a minute. We have a rampant killing machine on Atlantis, and I wasn't informed until now?!?" Sheppard exploded. "Elizabeth!"

"John…calm down please. I've had the Daedalus and the puddle jumpers take all personnel who don't have the ATA gene at all to the main land. It's just a temporary fix, but hopefully they're out of danger."

"Can we track this thing? What's it doing?" Sheppard asked.

"I put Rodney on figuring out how to track that thing as soon as he got back. I don't know what it's doing. It doesn't eat the people it kills; it just kills them, just like a Wraith does." Elizabeth replied.

"Dr. Weir?" her radio chirped.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Dr. Weir? This is Major Lorne. I have some bad news…Dr. Roth was just found, dead. She appears to have been killed by the creature."

A/N: Please click the little purple button! Jenn