The Program Part 3
"Rodney calm down," John tried to placate a hyperventilating Rodney McKay.
"Calm down?" Rodney asked hysterically, pacing up and down the hospital room. "We're in some kind of artificial environment, and have obviously been brainwashed into accepting it as reality. And I can't even remember how we got here so who knows what happened to Ronon and Teyla, I mean that could be them, or they could be facsimile's generated with the rest of this place-" he waved his hands around frantically as he spoke.
"McKay!" John shouted. Rodney stopped pacing. "Calm."
"Right, right. Sorry," he said, and collapsed into the chair again.
"So… ideas?" he asked after a moment.
"Not at the moment," Rodney said into his hands.
"Really?" John asked, because really, that wasn't like Rodney at all and that was a little suspicious considering the circumstances. Rodney looked at him from between his hands and sighed.
"Right, an idea," he sat back and tapped his hands on the arms of the chair. "Well, we've got to assume someone's monitoring us."
"Why?" John asked, sitting up and wincing at the pain from his stomach. "Hey, do you think I've actually been shot?" he asked Rodney. "It sure as hell feels like it."
"There's no way to tell for sure, but if they can simulate all this then I'm sure a gunshot wound is nothing."
"Right. So if someone is monitoring us, you think they'll come talk to us now we've figured it out?" he asked.
"Either that or modify the programme so that we forget again," Rodney shrugged.
"Great."
"What if they do not realise that what they experiencing is not real?" Teyla asked, standing in front of McKay and glancing in something akin to morbid fascination at the machine he was held in.
"Then they will remain in the programme until it's completion," Duyell told her, still eyeing Ronon warily, even though he'd lowered his weapon.
"And then?" Ronon asked.
"The machine will release them." Teyla glanced at him sharply, there was something in his tone that she did not like.
"But?" Evidently Ronon had heard it as well. Duyell hesitated before eventually speaking.
"None of the previous subjects have been able to endure the transition back into reality when released. They died."
"That better not happen," Ronon said lowly. "For your sake as well as theirs."
Rodney jumped clear out of his seat when his pager vibrated a few seconds later.
"What?!" Sheppard asked, alarmed.
"Nothing, it's just my pager," he assured Sheppard whilst checking it
"Who is it?"
"Urm, it's Elizabeth. Well not the real Elizabeth obviously, but-"
"I get it Rodney. Are you going to go?" Sheppard questioned. Rodney looked at him in alarm.
"What if I have to do some 'Doctor' thing?" he asked.
"W-e-l-l," Sheppard drew the word out. "What does she do here anyway?" he asked. Rodney was on the verge of snapping 'How the hell would I know?' when he realised that he did.
"Oh this is really weird, I have like two sets of memories," he frowned.
"Tell me about it," Sheppard said looking uncomfortable.
"She's Chief of Staff, has an office on the third floor," Rodney told him.
"So no gross ER stuff then," Sheppard said encouragingly.
"Fine. Here I go," he said angrily before striding out of the room.
"What are you doing?" Ronon asked as Duyell stepped up to one of the consoles and began typing. He glanced over his shoulder and scowled.
"It is possible to add other individuals into the programme, if we added someone with knowledge of the backdoors then they could conceivably let your friends out," he said without looking up.
"And what is it that you are doing now?" Teyla asked, stepping closer to him and readying her hands on her weapon.
"I'm making sure that the programme will be able to accommodate another consciousness," he said.
"Can it?" Ronon demanded, taking a step forward so he was in Duyell's personal space.
"Yes, it appears so. Who would like to go in?" he asked enthusiastically, smiling at Teyla and Ronon in turn.
"Why can't you?" Ronon asked.
"Who would monitor your progress and make sure you found the backdoor in the programme?" he asked. "I do believe that it should be you who enter," he said to Teyla.
"Why her?" Ronon asked menacingly.
"Because she has a gentler nature than you my friend, and would likely break the news to them in a better manner," he said.
"I think he may correct in this assumption Ronon," Teyla said, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
"However," Duyell interrupted. "I'd rather not," he paused and looked at Ronon hesitantly. Teyla nodded her understanding, truth be told she didn't quite trust Ronon to be alone with Duyell either.
"Ronon will return to the Stargate and radio for another team to be sent through," she said. "To… assist us," she said diplomatically. "Won't you Ronon?"
"It looks like it, yeah," he muttered, before stalking out of the lab.
"You wanted to see me, Elizabeth?" Rodney asked, sticking his head round to door of her office. It was more of a glorified cupboard really, no-where near as nice as the real one on Atlantis because the Ancients had obviously had a flair for design that the unimaginative guys who designed this place hadn't. Which prompted his brain to remind him that this virtual environment was essentially created from his and Sheppard's brains… Sheppard was obviously responsible for this.
"Yes I did," she smiled. "Come in, take a seat."
Rodney entered hesitantly, because wasn't this just creepy? This wasn't Elizabeth, he knew that, but what she was a combination of the perception he and Sheppard had of the real Elizabeth, and so to him and Sheppard she kind of was. Which was just confusing.
"Was there something specific, or-?" he made an expansive hand gesture.
"I just thought I'd see how you were doing," she smiled her diplomatic smile at him, which he knew meant there was something he wasn't going to like coming.
"Great. Fantastic. Any reason I shouldn't be?" he asked quickly.
"Some of your staff in the ER were worried about you. They believed you may be putting yourself under undue amounts of stress. They suggested that perhaps you should consider talking to Doctor Heightmeyer," she said with concern.
"Oh they did, did they?" he asked bitingly.
"They were only concerned for you," Elizabeth said placatingly.
"I'm sure," he said acidly. Stopping himself from going any further, because as he had to keep reminding himself, this place was not real. Despite himself he couldn't help voicing his next realisation. "That's why you sent me upstairs? Because you didn't think I could cut it in the emergency room any more?" he demanded.
"Rodney," fake-Elizabeth said gently.
"No!" he exclaimed, irrationally angry, but who cared, she wasn't real, he could take it out on her. "Don't Rodney me!"
"It's obvious to everyone you haven't been getting enough sleep," she said raising her voice. "And whilst you have yet to make a mistake-"
"Obviously," he interrupted, she glared at him.
"It has to be taking it's toll. Fatigue can have serious side-effects, slower thought processes, increased irritability, greater likelihood of making mistakes, hallucinations," his head snapped up at the last item on the list. That couldn't be coincidental. She noticed his reaction. "Have you been experiencing any of these symptoms?" she asked.
He looked at her steadily, his brain racing a mile a second. What would be the consequences if he revealed he and Sheppard had figured out that this wasn't reality? She was obviously trying to subtly introduce the idea that his returning memories had in fact been hallucinations, which implied the programme controlling her didn't want to let them out, or even for them to become aware of their simulated environment.
"No," he snapped. "I haven't. And you know me, if I was suffering I wouldn't do so silently," he said with a lopsided smile. "If you don't mind, I've got patients to attend to," he said shortly and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Of course," she said with a transparent smile. "But if you need anyone to talk to Rodney," she said looking at him meaningfully.
"I know where Kate's office is," he said icily, because whilst this wasn't the Elizabeth who had ordered him to talk to the resident psychologist in real life, she sure as hell looked like her, and there were no consequences of being insubordinate here.
Thanks for the fantastic feedback I've been getting! Including those who've put my story on alerts, but especially thanks to: Esmilla, Delka, neptune60, angw, Linnzi, Ditzyleo, Sea-Turtles, Cyllwen, Hettie, Lanhar and Splitbeak for reviewing part two. I hope you all enjoyed part three! Please REVIEW and let me know!