THE WHITE ROOM - Part 15
Elizabeth had just entered her quarters when the floor shook and the loud boom of an explosion filled the room. Staggering a bit, she quickly regained her footing and hit her radio button. "Control, this is Weir. What's happening?"
"We're being attacked!" yelled Chuck through the com link. "It's the Wraith."
"The Wraith?" asked Elizabeth incredulously. "Are you sure?" The Wraith didn't even know Atlantis still stood, so how could they be attacking. Another explosion rocked the room. "Get the shield up!" she called into her radio.
"We're working on it," said Rodney's voice. "The city isn't responding, it's sluggish. Radek said you've been having system problems."
Elizabeth moved quickly into the hall, heading for the control room as the floor once against shifted, almost sending her to her knees. "I thought everything would be all right now that John is home."
Radek joined the conversation at this point. "It takes a bit to restore systems, even with the Colonel here. Plus Colonel Sheppard is still . . . "
"Radek's trying to nicely say that Sheppard is still practically a vegetable and any interaction between him and Atlantis is bound to be about as messed up as he is," explained Rodney.
Elizabeth sighed in frustration as she neared the control room. "Well do what you can as fast as you can before they blow us out of the water." She raced into the control room breathlessly and came up behind Chuck. "Do we know how many?"
"Just the one, right now," said the Canadian at the screen. He held onto the edge of the panel as the room shook violently and sparks began flying from a console across the room. A tech jumped back away from the bright flashes, yelping when one caught her on the arm. A marine was there spraying a fire extinguisher almost immediately.
Chuck suddenly sat up straighter. "Dr. Weir, there's a transmission coming through."
Elizabeth looked surprised for a second, then neutralized her expression and nodded. "Put it through." The screen flickered and then a Wraith queen appeared.
"People of Atlantis, we know you still live and that your defenses are weakened. We have been monitoring you for quite some time. Your city has experienced much fluctuation recently, allowing us this opportunity."
Elizabeth straightened her posture, standing tall to face the queen. "How did you know we were here?" She needed to know if all Wraith knew of their continued existence or only this one hive. If they all knew, Atlantis was in deep trouble, no matter what the outcome of the coming battle. If it was just this one hive, they stood a chance.
"A mutual acquaintance told us. I believe you refer to him as Michael."
"Is he with you . . . Michael?" Elizabeth intended to gather as much information as she could as she stalled for time, hoping Rodney and Radek could get the shield fixed while they chatted.
The queen smiled. "No, we . . . dropped him off. He had become contaminated."
Elizabeth smiled bitterly, their failure coming back to bite them in the butt yet again. That was one mistake they seemed destined to pay for over and over again. "Then to what do we owe this little call? Are you wanting to negotiate something or just gloat?"
The Wraith queen laughed. "Michael was correct about one thing. You humans have an odd way about you. I wanted to offer you a quick death in return for your surrender. You will die either way, but you can make it less painful if you do not resist us."
Elizabeth smiled again. "Well, we're kind of hard to get along with like that. I'm afraid you'll have to work for this meal. No freebies."
The queen nodded. "Michael stated you would not give up. I must admit, I would have been disappointed if you had."
"Well, we do aim to please, about some things anyway."
"Is Colonel Sheppard there as well? I have heard much about him. It will be a pleasure to be able to boast of feeding from him." The queen almost purred when she said the last part, making Elizabeth burn with anger.
"You'll just have to figure that out for yourself. Shut it down." The screen immediately went dark and Elizabeth shuddered, rubbing her hands up and down her crossed arms.
"Is it just me, or was she extra creepy?" asked Chuck.
Elizabeth let the smile inch across her face before she turned to face the technician. "It's not just you. She's creepier than the average Wraith. Better hang on, this could be a rough ride." Elizabeth clicked her radio. "Rodney, please tell me we have a shield or weapons or something."
oOo
Fear and anger and pain swirled around John, threatening to completely swallow him. He fought to stay connected to Atlantis because she made things clearer, but she was struggling herself. It was as if they were reaching for one another, but somehow not touching. He needed her and he could tell that she needed him as well. Foreign images filled his mind, distracting him and pulling him away. John fought against them until one seemed almost familiar. He focused on the pictures and sounds associated with one of the many blocks moving through his head, ignoring the pain the concentration caused.
Wraith. Shields. Drones. Energy. It all suddenly flew together and, for a brief moment in time, made sense. They were here, hurting his city, and this was the answer. He dove into the memory even though it was not his and became one with it. It had saved the city once and he would use it now.
Atlantis hesitated, not wanting to let him help, but he pushed past her protests and went to work. The effort was draining and painful, but it felt good to focus his mind on something, to be useful again.
oOo
Shortly after communications with the Wraith ship were terminated, the explosions began again. Elizabeth was preparing another city wide announcement when they suddenly stopped, the silence seeming odd at first.
"The shield is up!" announced Chuck loudly, excitement filling his voice.
Elizabeth sighed and let her head sag forward for a few seconds. "Thank goodness." She touched her radio. "Good work, Rodney. Do we have weapons capability?"
"It wasn't me," said Rodney. "I wondered what you guys had done to bring it online, because nothing we were trying worked. Elizabeth. Drones are firing."
Elizabeth stepped forward to look over Chuck's shoulder. "That's confirmed, ma'am. Several drones have already fired and more are coming."
"Who's doing this?" asked Elizabeth, as much to herself as to anyone else.
"Check the chair room," said Rodney. "You don't think Carson developed a sudden hero complex, do you? What the . . . what is that? Radek, are you getting this?"
"What? What's going on?" asked Elizabeth.
"I don't know exactly, some kind of energy build up."
"The drones have stopped," said Chuck. The hive ship is damaged, but not destroyed. It looks like . . . I think they're getting ready to run."
"Wow, look at that!" exclaimed Chuck, pointing to the screen. A bright light flashed across the screen, followed by darkness. Chuck's mouth dropped open. "It's gone."
"What, the hive ship?" asked Elizabeth, as she continued to look at the now blank screen. "What happened to it?"
"An energy burst just destroyed the hive ship," said Rodney over the radio. Elizabeth couldn't tell if he was excited or amazed."
"How is that possible?" she asked.
"Elizabeth, this is Carson. We have several people here with minor injuries, but so far nothing major. We have another problem though. Colonel Sheppard is missing. I have no idea how he mustered up enough energy to walk out of here."
"Someone just obliterated the hive ship that was attacking us," she said. She was pretty sure she heard Carson sigh as soon as his radio came on again.
"I'll take a med team to the chair room and contact you later."
"Please do. Rodney, did you copy that?"
"We should have known," he responded. "Everything seems okay for now. I'll be in the infirmary if you need me."
Elizabeth felt the shaky loss of energy that followed an adrenalin rush. She looked down at a slightly pale and relieved looking Chuck.
"I guess it's a good thing the Colonel came home when he did."
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. "I'd say that was an understatement. Let's start damage inventory so we can see how much more work we have to do."
"Yes, ma'am," he said as he turned back to the controls.
oOo
Pain and exhilaration seemed to climax together, resulting in John's back arching off the chair. He was unaware of the tremors that shook him as his muscles locked forcefully. As the wave of energy passed through him, the muscles released and dropped him limply back in the chair. His energy gone, he was no longer able to focus his thoughts. Confusion swept back in as images and memories and sounds once again surged and swelled in his mind, racing together like waters swirling around a whirlpool.
Panic and dread filled him, but he was alone. No one heard his cry of fear. No one saw the seizure that wracked his body. No one saw him gasping for air.
oOo
Carson ran. It had been a while since he had actually run full tilt anywhere, but this time he ran. He'd felt something strange when Atlantis was attacked, but wounded had begun flowing in shortly afterward, and he'd ignored the feeling. He'd felt even odder when the attack stopped. After finding out his patient was missing, he was pretty sure he'd felt Atlantis kicking him to hurry. And so now he ran.
Skidding around the doorway to his destination, he went quickly to the pale, limp form in the chair. Placing a finger to John's neck, he felt the pulse, weak and thready beneath his hand. And then he checked for respirations.
"He's not breathing, help me get him to the floor," he yelled to his medical personnel coming through the door. Amy and Jack, two of his nurses, helped him lift John and move him to the floor. Within seconds, Amy had a mask over his face, squeezing the bag that would force oxygen into the patient's lungs while Carson kept a check on his heart.
oOo
Rodney heard them coming down the hall behind him. He stepped over near the wall as he slowed and turned around. Cason and two nurses whisked a gurney with Sheppard on it by him and into the infirmary. About the only things Rodney had time to see was that Sheppard was unconscious and had been intubated and Cason looked worried. He knew that couldn't be good. He had started toward the infirmary again when fast approaching footsteps sounded from behind him.
"Rodney!"
He turned to find Ronon and Teyla jogging down the hall. "They just took Sheppard to the infirmary and I'm on my way there now. I don't know anything, so don't ask."
"How did he get out?" asked Ronon.
"Did I not just say I don't know anything? You are still able to hear, right?"
Ronon's expression darkened. "I thought you stayed there with him," he said almost accusingly.
Rodney sighed, frowning as the remark kicked up his guilt. "I did for a while, but then I left to see what I could do with that program Radek and Hermiod have been working on. Sheppard seemed to be sleeping okay, so I thought . . . " He let his voice drift off as they entered the infirmary.
They could see Carson and his team surrounding John at the far end of the room. They knew better than to go any closer, so they stopped there to nervously pace around until the doctor was finished.
"It is not your fault, Rodney. You were trying to help John and you could not have known this would happen. What can you tell us?" asked Teyla.
Rodney stopped pacing and faced the two Pegasus natives. "Not much. I know the Wraith attacked the city. I know we couldn't get the shields to come up. It was almost like Atlantis didn't understand the instructions or wasn't actually receiving them. Then suddenly the shield came up and we started firing drones. A few minutes later, the drones stopped coming and a big wave of energy built up and then completely destroyed the hive ship. Next thing I know, Carson says Sheppard is missing and we figure he must be doing all that from the chair room, so Carson went to get him. Then we all just about ran over each other in the hall. The end."
"Thank you," said Teyla with a small nod. She took a deep breath and then turned to watch the flurry of activity around John's bed. Ronon and Rodney almost reluctantly followed her gaze. Through the voices of Carson and his staff as they exchanged information about the Colonel, the sound of a heart monitor and ventilator could now be heard. The three teammates stood and watched, mesmerized by the activity and almost numb from the recent string of events that left each wondering how Sheppard could take any more.
TBC