Klon

My first fan fic.
I don't own Carson or the members of SGA-1

A/N: Now I've seen "Sunday," I am very sad! And I will try to integrate my story with the actual episode.

Part 8

Andrew made his way back towards the main area where Michael held meetings with his guards. He had found that from this vantage point he could hear everything that was said, which at the time just satisfied his curiosity. The closer, he came the quieter he moved. As he reached the balcony overlooking the meeting room, the voices of Michael and Merrick floated up to him.

"We can't keep these prisoners any longer. They are too dangerous. They have to be eliminated," Merrick growled from below.

"I may as yet decide to let one of them go. I want to send Atlantis a message: I want them to fear what I can do. Killing Sheppard would do that, but only if someone can return and tell them the story. The knowledge of what I did to Beckett will only help with that underlying dread," Michael sounded particularly excited, as if he had already decided.

"Can't we use Stanford, that Atlantean that you bought. Wouldn't he be able to let the others know what happened to Sheppard and the other Atlanteans? We took a big chance in gaining his trust, for him to just pass on weather reports and rumors. Besides, why would we want them to know about Beckett, we worked hard on him as well?" Merrick's voice fluctuated as he moved around the room. "Our goal is to get back to being wraith, not play games with the humans."

"Oh, Andrew is close, within days of completing the serum. By that time McKay will have this ship up and running again, and we'll be ready to return to the hive. But until then, I get to play! The Atlanteans will watch as I feed on Andrew and his children. I can't wait to make them pay for Carson's betrayal. Beckett took everything from me, and I will take everything from him. I will relish the look of horror they will have while he withers and dies. But that will not be enough. Sheppard will pay for his role as well. I will make him bleed, and when I am through, the heart and soul of Atlantis will be dead," Michael said with deep venom.

Andrew stood shocked by the ugly words that came from Lord Michael's mouth. In all the time that he remembered, Michael had always treated him with respect, even indulgence, as if he truly cared about Andrew. Could Sheppard have been right about Michael? Has he been manipulating me all along? Since joining Michael, Andrew could pinpoint moments where what was happening didn't seem to mesh with his feelings. With every prisoner the wraith brought to him for testing, Andrew had an uneasy feeling, like he knew deep inside that the explanation Michael gave him wasn't truthful. When he had allowed Andrew to keep Brador and Traysha, Andrew still shivered at the menacing smile that had ghosted across the wraith lord's lips. Andrew had always known that something was not right here with the wraith; he just had not been ready to face it.

"Stanford was worth it, if only for the vivid description of the death of Carson Beckett. It is through him that the death of Beckett's clone will bring me even more joy. I can imagine as a freed McKay returning to Atlantis and reporting on the death of the second Beckett. Stanford will continue to report on the dealings of the Atlanteans for a while to come. No, I am happy for the way events have transpired. I think I will pay the good colonel another visit," Michael cackle sounded almost demented to Andrew.

Clone??? I'm a clone? Is that why they keep calling me Carson? I'm nothing more than a replica. I don't exist. Andrew was struck by the coldness that filled his heart. The last day had sent him into an emotional tailspin. He felt instantly bonded with the Atlanteans, and in just a few minutes his trust in Michael had crashed to the ground. Andrew turned away from the still arguing wraith and slowly made his way back to his rooms.

The first sight he had as he entered the apartment was Brador and Traysha sitting on the floor playing a game that reminded Andrew of jacks. He looked down at them sadly. They knew what the wraith planned to do all along; why couldn't I?

"There are wraith here!" Brador hissed, pulling his sister protectively closer while she shivered with fear. "We need to leave before they turn us old!"

"It's all right lil' ones, they are my friends. They won't hurt ye." Andrew tried to sooth the children's fear. He had seen the shriveled up remains of their parents and had to block the view from the children. Andrew had no idea what had caused the deaths of the parents, but he could tell it wasn't natural. "Ye can't stay here alone, come with me and I'll take care of ye!"

"We can't go where the wraith are. They will hurt us," Brador stated matter-of-factly, looking up at Andrew with the serious eyes of one who was older than he should be.

Traysha began to cry.

Andrew threw his arms around the two tiny children, hugging them close, their underfed bodies feeling like sticks in his arms. He wasn't about to leave them behind, they would die alone. "Trust me," he pleaded.

Brador seemed to consider him seriously, before smiling at him trustingly. "Alright! Come on Traysha, don't cry. Andrew will protect us."

Andrew knew what he needed to do. The plan seemed simple, and it developed instantly in his mind. If it was successful everything would work out fine. He and the children would be safe, and the Atlanteans could return to their home. What would happened to Michael and the wraith was no longer of concern of Andrew.

"Come on, wee ones, I need you to come with me," Andrew began grabbing the few valuables that he had: a precious gem he found on Delos, a few coins found on the first planet they had visited, and an ancient devise that he had found on an uninhabited planet that showed him the location of other people, kind of a life-signs detector. Andrew had kept the ancient devise from Michael, somehow knowing that the wraith would not like him having the technology. By the time he turned back around the two children were ready to go, each grabbing their coat and shoes. Brador held the box of carved models of their parents in his hands while Traysha attempted to fit the jacks in the pocket of her dress.

"We're ready Andrew," Brador said solemnly, as if he had been expecting this day to come.

"I see that. Come on now, I need to hide ye while I work on getting us out of here. Follow me." Andrew led the children silently as he made his way down the halls of the ship to his lab. Once in the lab, Andrew pulled open the door to the storage cabinet in the back corner, motioning the children to hide there. "Keep quiet, I'll be back soon. Brador, take care of yer sister," Andrew whispered meeting the young boys eyes, before closing the door silently.

Before Andrew left the lab, he opened the container that held the work he had spent the last six months working on; he was only days away from completing it. Without a second thought he poured the substance down the drain and took his laptop with his notes on it and dropped it into a tub, filling it with water. Andrew looked at his destructive work with a smile before grabbing a screwdriver-like tool and leaving his lab.

Andrew found the cabinet where he was sure the wraith would have stored the Atlanteans weapons. After checking his ancient scanner and finding himself alone, he took only a few moments to pry open the locked door and retrieve all the Atlanteans gear.

TBC
Feedback is appreciated.