Title: Aquarius
Author: Gumnut
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Something's happened and there are changes
Part 2/?
Word count: 1,067
Spoilers & warnings: Whole series, but nothing in particular.
Disclaimer: Mine? You gotta be kidding. Money? Don't have any, don't bother.
Author's note: Okay, I wrote some more. There is even some plot happening and I have worked out a backstory, scary stuff. Again, rusty writing muscles and no beta. Hope you enjoy it anyway.
McKay looked up at the sound of misstep only to see Carson catch John on the way down.
Damnit, why didn't the man listen! Leaving his instruments to the barely capable hands of Zelenka he ran over to assist Beckett. "What's he done now?"
Carson gently lowered Sheppard to the floor, experienced eyes giving him the once over. "He's done enough already. Won't listen." The doctor muttered to himself, checking vitals with his fingertips. "Perhaps ye can convince him. Burns aren't to be messed with."
"Don't you think I've tried?"
Beckett muttered a few more words before calling downstairs for assistance. "Perhaps a return visit to the infirmary will convince him. He's not needed in the chair any time soon?"
McKay blinked. "No. We're down. The immediate area is secure. Sat Nine is in orbit." McKay grumbled. "Found him out on the balcony staring at the sky. Didn't bother to tell me he was up here. What the hell he was doing here, I have no idea."
"Well, he's down for the count now. You can only push your body so far. Over here, lads."
McKay helped lift the Colonel onto the gurney and stepped back as the medical team wheeled John out of the room. Beckett gripped Rodney's shoulder, gave him a weary half smile, before letting him go and following his patient to the infirmary.
Rodney sighed, paused a moment, and then realised how quiet it was in the control room. "What are you all looking at? Should I assume you've found a stargate, since you are all wasting time? Time you are freely giving to the Rath so they can come kick our asses again?" He fisted his hands in frustration. "Get to work!" Damnit, did he have to do everything around here?
He ran a hand over his face, as the room erupted into action around him. The little John in the back of his head smirked at him. Oh, shut up. He wouldn't have to be in command if Sheppard hadn't done the hero bit and gotten himself maimed and exhausted.
But then if he hadn't then it was doubtful that McKay would be here to complain about it.
Little John smirked again.
Oh, for the love of-
They needed to find a damn stargate.
-o-o-o-
To Rodney's surprise, and not a little relief, they did find a stargate, quite quickly and quite nearby. There definitely wasn't one on the planet, Rodney had double checked just in case his own exhaustion had dented his genius. However according to the sensors of Sat9 there was a gate on the smaller of the planet's two moons.
This was unusual. Though it wasn't the first moon to be found sporting a stargate, it wasn't a common occurrence in either the Milky Way or Pegasus Galaxies. Whether or not it was in the Aquarius Galaxy…well, new kids on the block and all.
This, of course, led to a myriad of questions as to whether the presence of a gate on a moon, in orbit of a planet, would interfere with the operation of a gate on that planet. Rodney could not answer with one hundred percent decisiveness due to the fact that they had never encountered the problem before – except for that Furling transportation device SG-1 had fought with a few years back (Sam had actually tried to contact him for help, but McKay had unfortunately been in Canada with Jeannie attempting to divert her from that English Major) - and that wasn't strictly speaking a stargate in any case (and what was with that stupid device anyway? Hadn't those guys heard of shuttles? Beaming technology? It was only to a moon, for crying out loud).
They needed to fly up there, to the Gate Moon, Rodney had named it himself, and confirm the presence of the gate and see if it was operational. And ruins, once again they were looking for ruins, something in stone, an entire library, perhaps, or a Lonely Planet Guide to the Aquarius Galaxy to hopefully find some information that could give them some viable gate addresses. Since they currently had none.
Talk about starting from scratch again.
"Rodney, we need to fly to that moon."
He whirled. "Thank you for stating the obvious, Radek. In case you haven't noticed, we are out of good pilots." Sheppard was down for the count. Lorne was still in the infirmary and was likely to be there for a very long time. A sting of guilt. If only he had pulled the pilot out faster, if only –
"You can fly."
"I said good pilots, Radek."
"At this point, McKay, even you are better than not going."
Rodney glared. "Thank you for your vote of confidence." He didn't want to admit it, but his confidence wasn't in abundance when it came to flying a jumper. In an emergency, sure, but – and yes, he could admit to himself that he was missing Sheppard, if only for his flying skills.
Carson would skin him alive if he dangled this mission in front of the Colonel. In fact, he was on the verge of hoping Sheppard was asleep or unconscious so he didn't have to report and then fight the man back to bed.
"Okay, Radek, speak to Major Whathisname, grab some marines and minions. Pack a jumper."
The least he could do was prevent John from yet another attempt to kill himself in the name of the greater good.
-o-o-o-
It always started the same…
The peaceful planet below. Sitting with Ronon explaining the mechanics of a game of marbles while a blue marble rotated ponderously below them.
Woolsey and Keller were down on the planet inaugurating the first human-wraith colony where some volunteers were helping to set up a settlement that could teach the new non-human-eating wraith how to farm, raise crops and hopefully build a peaceful society.
In the hope of peace, Atlantis had a small team of puddlejumpers cloaked and deployed around the planet, some hiding behind moons, others in orbital patrol. These were backed up by both the Daedelus patrolling the heliopause, and the Apollo in geosynchronous orbit above the site.
It always started the same…
A golden glow, bearing down from his left, enveloping the planet. A yell from his headset, and the cabin lighting up orange with reflected firelight.
Ronon was yelling. The planet was burning.
And he was screaming.
-o-o-o-
TBC?