Three weeks later Elizabeth was holed up in her new office translating some new Ancient text that one of the teams had discovered recently on their travels. Whilst her new role as translator/linguist / negotiator left a gaping hole in what she considered her calling in life, it was better than nothing, and since she was more of less confined to the city, it gave her some purpose.
John Sheppard however was having a much rougher day, having been called into Colonel Carter's office for the one reason he had been dreading since declaring his feelings for Elizabeth. Carter, bless her cotton socks actually looked as though she were dreading this meeting herself, her calm demeanour although professional, seemed almost to the point of rigid. She'd been on the receiving end of the very stick she was about to wield, and hated it even more so now.
Sheppard tapped on the door frame with his knuckles to gain her attention, still not quite used to see Carter seated behind the desk he had always known as Elizabeths'.
" You wanted to see me Colonel?" He asked, leaning casually against the door frame.
" Take a seat Colonel " Carter gestured towards the empty chair facing her desk, then laced her fingers together to keep from fidgeting in frustration. Sam sucked in a deep breath and braced herself for the hostile reaction she was likely to receive from her words.
" John, there's no polite way of saying thing so I'm just gonna come out and say it. Are you having a relationship with Dr Weir?" She asked, keeping her tone as even as possible.
The colour drained from John's face as her words hit home, his expression changing instantly from casual to guarded.
" With all due respect Colonel, what does that have to do with you?" John replied, unable to keep the tension from his voice.
Sam controlled her expression and kept it neutral.
" I need to know John, because if this base is ever compromised or if the dampening field McKay's rigged ever fails, her nanites may give away our location, or worse, they could take control of her. The IOA has raised some concerns as to what the 'failsafe' plan is going to be." Carter explained, trying to put the words into a manner that didn't put her into the category of heartless bitch.
" And you want to know if I'm in a relationship with her... because of that?" John questioned incredulously, his eyebrows rising in a way very similar to Elizabeth's.
" I need to know if it's gonna be a problem for you if she's put into stasis or..... deactivated if it comes to that" Sam said with more than a little regret in her voice.
John kept silent for a moment, digesting the new information and carefully choosing his words
" I have never, and will never, let any personal relationship I have interfere with my duties Ma'am. But with regards to Elizabeth, she is no longer my commanding officer, nor is she a member of the military, so there's no regulation to say that we CAN'T have a relationship" John answered, hoping that that was the answer Carter was looking for.
Sam sucked in a deep breath, knowing he was trying to play the company tag line and sprout what she wanted to hear.
" John... you're the closest one to her, so if the worst does happen, and she is compromised or action needs to be taken, you're most likely gonna have to be the one to do it" Sam regretted her words the instant she was forced to say them " I need to know if that's gonna be a problem"
John bristled at the thought of having to hit the literal 'kill switch' that would deactivate Elizabeth's nanites and essentially kill her instantly, the stasis option however he could handle.
He resisted the urge to jump to his feet and defend against Elizabeth being treated like an unpredictable machine, it was hard to do but he knew that making a scene would only make things worse.
" What are the markers going to be if this 'plan' has to be enabled?" John asked, his tone low and barely civil.
" We're still putting it down on paper, and it's something that Elizabeth will be made aware of in the near future, but she will be put into immediate stasis if any of the following occur a) the dampening field that McKay rigged fails or is on the verge of failing, b) if any replicators are in the immediate area, we still don't know how effective that field is short range or c) if the city is under heavy attack or taking damage. To that end, the discussions as to what will happen if we're forced to evacuate are still ongoing, she can't come back to Earth for obvious reasons...and we can't leave her hear for someone else to find her" Sam's voice drifted off, leaving John to know exactly what the 'resolution' to that situation would be.
John couldn't resist the urge to stand and start pacing, thankful the glass doors to Carter's office had closed behind him when he'd originally entered.
" I'm sorry but I'm having issues with the IOA treating Elizabeth like a liability" John retorted angrily, his posture radiating anger and frustration. " We're talking about Dr Elizabeth Weir.. the same woman who headed up this expedition for 3 years and was your boss for a time back at the SGC!"
" I know John, but the...failsafe... needs to be clear for all concerned before the situation arrises and needs to be dealt with" Sam explained, keeping her tone calm, if not a little apologetic.
" When are you going to tell Elizabeth about this little failsafe plan?" John snapped back before taking a few mental steps to reign in his anger.
" Once it's down on paper and has the President's approval." Carter replied and noted that the mention of the President seemed to sooth John's ire a little. " We are being as delicate as possible about this John, it's being given every consideration by the highest levels"
" I know... it's just.... she's not a machine that can be switched off on a whim. We flick that switch we kill her" John replied with irritation, his eyes flashing with emotion.
" I know John, but if the worst situation comes.. it may be necessary" Sam said softly " Which is why we plan on using the stasis chamber you found her duplicate in 3 years ago for all except the more dire"
" I see " John returned, slowing his pacing and nailing Carter with a glare that could be interpreted many ways. " You have my word Colonel that when the time comes, the appropriate actions will be taken" He saluted stiffly before stalking out of her office, not even looking where he was going until his feet seemed to deliver him to the door of another office, Elizabeth's new office.
She looked up as she noticed him though the glass door, a concerned expression on his face and his entire body radiating tension.
" John... come in. What's wrong?" She asked, concern causing her eyebrows to knit together. He had that look about him that something horrible had happened and he was struggling to deal with it.
" I just got called into a meeting with Carter... she wanted to know if there was an 'US'" He said solemnly, hoisting his hip onto the corner of her desk as he did so many times back when she was in charge.
" I see" Elizabeth replied, her expression also a little guarded, she was bracing herself inwardly " And what did you say?"
" I told her the truth, and that we wouldn't let it interfere with our duties" He retorted, his voice all singsong like he was a school child reciting the school motto.
" And she was ok with that?" Elizabeth asked, her expression still guarded.
" There's nothing she can do in relation to regulations anyways... and I think she kinda knows how we feel if you know what I mean" John smirked, trying to lighten the mood so Elizabeth didn't delve deeper into his discussion with Sam. He didn't want to reveal the details of the failsafe, ever preferably. But in the meantime it would need to be approved by the President before it was even mentioned to Elizabeth. And while it pained him to keep such information from her, he knew that he had little control over Sam's orders. Elizabeth wasn't to know... not yet. Regardless, Elizabeth still knew the reality when it came to her nanites, and what that may mean for her future, she could handle the truth when the time came, that he was sure of.
