Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis or its characters, settings, etc.
"What are you trying to tell me, doctor?" Caldwell asked him. "That the wraith virus has resurfaced?"
"No, its not a virus, and its not Wraith," McKay told him.
Caldwell narrowed his eyes at McKay. "Then what is it?"
"I'm getting to that, just quit interrupting me," McKay snarked. "Its Goa'uld."
"Goa'uld?" Sheppard asked as he was standing back behind Cadman.
McKay turned giving Sheppard an annoyed look. "Yes, that's what I said. Are you my echo for all those who didn't here me?"
Sheppard kept quiet for a moment alllowing McKay to continue.
"Okay, since I've established its Goa'uld," McKay stated, "and we know its running inside the program itself, like someone rewrote it all together. . ."
"How's that possible?" Caldwell asked.
"Someone could've beamed onboard," Cadman mentioned.
"In hyperspace?" Sheppard questioned skeptically.
"Well, it is possible, but not likely," McKay argued.
"Our scans showed no one onboard upon leaving Earth," Caldwell announced.
"Maybe we should have your head examined again," McKay directed at Caldwell.
"Perhaps yours, Dr. McKay," Caldwell replied.
"Oh, touche," McKay smirked. "Why draw this out, hm? I can simply just delete the program and insert the back up. I was very clear to make copies of all system programs so we could easily replace a corrupted file."
"How long will that take?" Caldwell asked.
"Not long, with help," he said.
"Cadman and Hermiod will aid you," Caldwell said.
"Cadman?" McKay complained in a huff. "Fine. She can help me delete the program."
"Good, update me when you're finished," Caldwell said exiting.
McKay glared at Cadman for a moment. "Let's get to work." He turned and began to use his tablet as he pressed the screen to get the copy of the program up. "Hermiod, can you bring up the hyper drive system on the screen again?"
"Of course," he spoke.
Meanwhile, back at Atlantis, Zelenka was bored and leaning over his computer with his head upon his chin. "When are they due back?"
"Within the hour," one of the nearby techs said.
Suddenly, Zelenka jumped up and looked at the screen behind him. "That's not good." He tapped his radio. "Dr. Weir to the gateroom."
McKay stared at the screen for a few moments wondering about his plan. "I don't get it."
"Why not, genius?" Cadman asked condescendingly.
"Because the backup program should not have been infected too," he announced.
Caldwell entered again. "What's the status report?"
"Well, the back up program is infected, too." McKay set down his tablet and turned back to them. "What's our heading?"
"We're still heading for Atlantis, according to the nav reports," Caldwell stated.
"Well, it hasn't tossed anyone out the airlock yet, or electricuted anyone," Sheppard announced.
"What are you trying to say?" Caldwell asked.
"Maybe it's not gonna kill us," he replied.
"Well, everything checks out, but it being there gives me the creeps," McKay told them all.
Weir finally entered the gate room to find Zelenka talking to a technician. "What is it?"
"There's an incoming ship on radar," he told her.
"Is it Wraith?" Weir asked.
"I don't know," he answered. "It is big enough, but it isn't showing us what type it is."
"Long range scanners are messed up?"
"No, I think whatever is coming at us is cloaked, somehow, from our scanners." Zelenka sighed heavily.
TO BE CONTINUED. . .