Val had no idea what he was getting himself into. He was definitely not prepared to offer counsel to those he had always thought were his father's enemy. Todd knew Val would be walking into a disaster, so he set off to find him before he was gone. He was in his quarters showering and dressing after his long day in the training field. Dressed in his black cloak, Val continued to look more and more like a wraith each day. He stood tall and silent. His short white spiky hair, thin as silk. His face had the wraith shape, but without the slits and translucent skin. But despite all the similarities, the Atlantian's were certain to notice his difference. Standing against the wall, Todd watched his son finish getting ready, putting on the last touches to clearly state the side he was on.
"Valimor, there is something you must know before you go." He said from the door as Val ran a hand through his hair, contemplating cutting it, or letting it grow out like the wraith. The slight tilt of his head told the commander he was listening. "The Atlantians, no matter how…annoying there are, and I hate to say this, they are valuable allies. So while you are there, you are to do nothing to ruin that relationship." He said walking forward to prove his emphases. Val turned around to look at his father, confused. He couldn't wait to learn why these people seemed to be so important.
"I would never do anything to put the hive in jeopardy." He said, stern, looking a lot like a soldier. Todd nodded and was about to walk off but stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
"But don't give them too much. They can be like children, spoil them and they become whinny." He said with a light chuckle then disappeared through the door. The complicated nature was so overwhelming, Val thought it best to simple avoid it. But of course that couldn't be done, not for a normal wraith, and certainly not him.
Val was taken to a random planet with a gate, which was dialed to the famous Atlantis. The city was a place of legend to most young wraith. The strong hold that never fell. Val had heard his fair share of stories, and couldn't deny he was rather excited to be in the city, walking around, almost as an equal. Taking a deep breath, wearing a stern, blank expression he stepped through the gate. In a few short seconds he was standing in the gate room of Atlantis surrounded by a dozen armed guards. Ok, so maybe a lot less than an equal. Standing front and center, he calmed himself and stared into the distance, not looking at anyone, his hands clasped behind his back. He went against everything he knew, but he had left all weapons and support behind. Suddenly down a large pair of stairs came a woman with two men on each side of her. She made it just a few feet in front of him and looked him over a moment.
"Welcome to Atlantis..er…" She stumbled over the greeting, knowing wraith didn't have names, but the one before her looked nothing like a wraith. One man stood next to her, tall with his right hand over his left in front of him, but a relaxed pose. The other one was short and round, with a cautious expression, a lot like a squirrel. Both men looked over him again and again. Finally the one dressed like the rest of the military men around him spoke.
"Are you really a wraith?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Val's blue green eyes flicked to him. The comment he had been struggling with himself hurt coming from a human, but he refrained from answering.
"If we could please start." Val growled softly, turning his attention back to the woman, obviously in charge. Perhaps humans were not so different from wraith. She looked at her two escorts then cleared her throat and nodded.
"Yes, of course, um this way." She said motioning towards the door and began walking. Val kept a good distance behind and his guards followed. The woman was skinny and wore all black, her hair long and blond in a lose braid. Tilting his head he watched her. She stood out from the rest, and yet seemed to fit in very well. The way she clasped her hands told him she use to be military, but the long hair, he did not see on any other uniformed female. The man resembled her in the sense of those nontraditional military personnel. Arriving at a room that looked like a science lab, she led him in. Glancing at the short man and nodded. He looked startled, and rubbed his hands together.
"Um, yes of course, so this is the lab, you'll be working over there." He said pointing to a bunch of computers. "And…ah…umm." He paused studying Val again. "I don't think you're a wraith." He finally said, refusing to make eye contact, but he waved his hand in Val's face. He pulled back slightly and gave a disgusted glare. "No, wraith have those funny nose things, the weird slimy looking skin and…" His eyes fell on his hand. Pulling back and clasping it behind his back he growled.
"If you think I'm incapable of giving you the information you require, you are wrong." He said, trying to calm himself from this talkative humans. The taller one broke in and put his hands on the other mans shoulders.
"Don't listen to him, Todd assured us that you were more than capable, and well if you're not, we get a refund." He said grinning. That voice, he immediately recognized it as the one on the hive. The one named Sheppard. The girl, looking extremely awkward clasped her hands and began leaning towards the door.
"Well, I'll let you to it." She said turning and leaving the room quickly, leaving the boys to themselves. Val quickly left the little triangle they had formed and moved to the computers. It didn't take long to figure out how they worked and soon he had accessed their main database. Rodney leaned against a table typing away at a laptop and Sheppard wondered around bored, picking at different vials and bottles. After about an hour or so, he had lost all patience and fell against a table.
"So how long do you think you guys will be at this?" He asked with a deep sigh. Rodney looked at him with annoyance, and the tension that sparked caught Val's attention.
"Do you even know what we are doing Sheppard? Could you little military mind even comprehend what we are doing!" He growled angrily. John simply looked bored, leaning on his elbows he stared at Rodney with mock interest.
"Oh please Rodney, enlighten me." He begged. For a moment Val thought he was going to fall to his knees. Lifting an eye brow he watched the two with their glaring contest.
"I don't have a week to waste trying to break it down for you!" He yelled and turned back to his computer. John nodded dramatically and stood stalking towards Val. Moving up to one of the computers he was working on, he scrolled through some of the information. Val watched him from the side, not totally comfortable with the close proximity.
"It looks like you are updating out database on wraith physiology, Rodney." He said with triumph folding his arms and staring at the scientist. Gapping at the Colonel, he stuttered for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"Yeah, that's the first half Sheppard, we are going to use this information to work on the… You know what; I'm not even going there." He growled turning back to his work. Rolling his eyes Sheppard walked back to his seat and collapsed on it. And just like that the argument was over. These people worked so strangely. Val didn't thing he would ever understand their chain of command.
They had been at it for 3 hours and people had been in and out the whole time. As Val was working with the computers just him and his guard Sheppard walked in and sat in a stool across from him. He stared at him for awhile, and Val wasn't one to be thrown off by a gaze, but this was unsettling. Finally he rolled his shoulders and turned his eyes to John.
"Can I help you?" He asked, trying to hold the wraith sound, but he was tried and it faded to his gentler, smoother human voice. Sheppard grinned slightly. He was trying to put together pieces of the puzzle, only problem was, he wasn't sure which puzzle.
"We have been working on this drug to make wraith more human for months now, and suddenly you strut in here like we've already accomplished this." He said sitting up off the table and leaning against the chair. Val was nowhere close to telling him about his upbringing but instead turned back to his computer screen. John was not about to give up. "Alright, I understand, you not about to go telling me everything, but there is one thing I must know…" Val cut him off by putting his hand up.
"You will never know without getting everything, of which you just said, you understood I would not tell you. Do not ask questions that will only confuse you more." Valimor said, but he had now stepped away from the computer and was watching the Colonel carefully. He was nothing like the rest of the human's on this base. He had experience past his few human years. John nodded.
"Ok, but I've noticed the looks you give. You have questions of your own. So let's make a deal. I get to ask you questions, grant it they are not to personal…or secret, and you can ask me questions with the same restrictions." He offered, extending his hand but he stopped short and let it fall back on his lap. "Deal?" He asked. Val stood there, pondering the proposition. It was intriguing, but his father said… Perhaps he would play this game, as long as he watched his words.
"Deal." He said softly and stepped back to his computer, ignoring the grin that spread across Sheppard's face.