Thanks for all the reviews – it has been a great encouragement. Here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. There are a couple of minor spoilers for "Misbegotten"
oOoOoOo
John and Elizabeth stood together, not talking, just watching life on Atlantis continuing below them. The de-briefing hadn't lasted long. No-one wanted to linger on the details. And until the team who were currently examining the wreckage reported back, there was little they could do. They needed to know the cause of the crash before they could move on. They didn't know if it had been an accident, or if there had been deliberate intervention, and until they did, they couldn't do anything about it; they couldn't even grieve properly.
A worried looking Dr Biro approached them, examining the laptop she was carrying.
"Ah, there you are, Dr Weir," she said. "We have a problem."
John and Elizabeth exchanged a concerned look.
"What is the problem?" Elizabeth asked. "Have you been able to confirm that the bodies from the Jumper are Dr Beckett and Dr McKay?"
"That's where the problem lies," Dr Biro said, looking up at the two leaders for the first time. "I've got DNA samples for the bodies, but now I've nothing to compare them to."
"But I thought Carson had DNA samples from everyone on Atlantis," John said, looking puzzled now.
"He did," Dr Biro confirmed. "But they're missing."
"Missing?" Elizabeth repeated. "Have they been erased from the database?"
"Well, you see," the doctor explained. "Carson was concerned about personal details being on the public server, and so he kept all such details on a separate disk."
"And it's gone missing?" John asked.
"Yes," confirmed Dr Biro. "He kept it in the safe in his office. It's very secure, I think. But when I went to get it, to compare DNA samples, it was gone."
"But why would anyone steal it?" Elizabeth asked. "What use would it have to anyone?"
"There is other information on the disk that could be used maliciously," Dr Biro said, her tone anxious. "That is also why Carson was determined to keep it secure and private." Her tone told Elizabeth that the other woman felt she had betrayed her late boss's trust by allowing the disk to go missing.
"We seem to have a thief in our midst," John commented. "First the crystal in the sensor array and now this."
"And I am afraid that is not all," Radek said, joining them. "In the last few days, a number of people have reported that they have lost little things, not always vital, but useful."
"That's all we need," John said, an exasperated sign escaping from him. "A kleptomaniac in our midst. Want me to look into it?" he added to Elizabeth. She nodded her agreement.
"It's better that we don't let this become generally known, just yet," she looked at the other two as she said this. They both nodded. "We don't want accusations to start flying around."
She turned back to Dr Biro. "Is there another way of establishing DNA samples for Carson and Rodney?"
"Yes," the other woman confirmed. "I've already got my staff working on it. There are a number of ways to collect DNA samples. They are currently checking their rooms to see if they can find anything. I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything myself."
oOoOoOo
"Carson," Rodney said, breaking the silence that had fallen after Michael left.
"Yes, Rodney," the Scot replied.
"Would it really be dangerous to try and turn Michael back to a Wraith?"
"I just don't know," Carson admitted. "But I wouldn't like to do it without running a whole load of tests first. And to be honest with you, I'm not sure I'd be able to get off this bed at the moment, never mind run experiments."
Rodney stood there, anxiously chewing his finger. "Look, Carson," he said, after a moment. "I don't really want to point this out, but if you don't do something, I don't think Michael is planning to keep us alive for very long."
"And you think he will, if I do help him?" Carson asked.
"He didn't kill you the last time," Rodney pointed out.
Before the discussion could develop further, the door opened again. Michael was accompanied by two of the Wraith, except they weren't quite Wraith. Like Michael, their features were a strange mix of Wraith and human. Carson realised that he recognised them from his time among them on the planet.
"Merrick, Sadek," he said by way of acknowledgment. They just gazed back at him, the look in their eyes a mixture of hatred and anticipation.
"Now Dr Beckett," Michael said. "It is time for you to fulfil your part of the bargain."
"I didn't think we had a bargain," Carson said.
"Dr McKay is still alive, isn't he?" Michael said, looking over at Rodney, who tried to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible.
Carson swung his battered body round to face Michael, trying not to wince in the process
"Why don't you leave Rodney out of it," Carson said, his voice betraying his physical and emotional pain. "He has nothing to do with this. This is between you and me. I'll help you, but only if you let him go."
"That's not going to happen," Michael said, calmly. "I can't afford him telling your friends where we are."
"Then you might as well kill us both now," Carson said, equally as calmly. "Because the only way I'm going to help you is if you let Rodney go."
"Very well. Merrick . . ." Michael said, gesturing towards Rodney. The scientist let out a squeal and tried to hide behind the bed. The Wraith approached him, menacingly, slowly.
"OK, wait!" Carson said. "If that is the way you want to play it, I'll help you, as long as you leave Rodney alone."
"I thought you'd see reason, Dr Beckett. Remember, I know you well. Very well. I know your thought processes. You have a tender heart, Doctor. It makes you good at what you do, but it is your weakness. And I know how to exploit your weakness."
Carson turned away, unable to meet the Wraith's eyes. He felt vulnerable and exposed. And above all, he felt frustrated. Frustrated that, yet again, he was being forced to help Michael. Frustrated that there was so little he could do to protect either himself or Rodney. And deep down, he felt guilty. If he hadn't started off the experiment to turn a Wraith into a human; if he hadn't, in effect, created Michael as he now was, then none of this would have happened.
"Very well then, Dr Beckett," Michael said, a malicious grin on his face. "Now come with us. I have set up a laboratory for you."
With that, Merrick and Sadek reached for Carson. He couldn't prevent himself from flinching as they touched him. Michael noticed his reaction, and his grin widened.
As the two Wraith hauled Carson to his feet, he stumbled slightly and put his full weight on his broken leg. He let out a cry of pain, and struggled not to lose consciousness. His face drained of colour and the world started to swirl. He would have fallen if the Wraith hadn't been holding him upright.
"Can't you see he's injured," Rodney exclaimed, concern for his friend making him bold.
At a nod from Michael, the Wraith lowered Carson back onto the bed.
"Can't you do something to help him?" Rodney asked, concerned by the deathly pallor on his friend's face.
"The Wraith don't deal in medicine," Carson said, very quietly, struggling to speak through the nausea he was feeling. "It is either a case of healing themselves or dying."
Carson met Michael's eye, as the Wraith nodded his acknowledgment of the doctor's words.
"I hadn't realised just how seriously injured you were, Dr Beckett," Michael said, the tone of his voice devoid of feeling, devoid of concern. "If you are badly wounded, then you are of little use to us. There is, however, something I can do to help you."
As he spoke, Michael reached out towards Carson; his hand stretching out towards the Scot's chest. Carson tried not to flinch as he anticipated the agony of the Wraith's touch. He simply closed his eyes and waited, the echo of Rodney's cry of anguish for him, sounding in his ears.