A/N: Exposition alert! Bwoop bwoop bwoop bwoop.

Chapter 3

Project Atlantis was a top secret private sector and multi-government funded think tank located on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia. Rumored to have cost eight billion and five years to build, the multi-level state-of-the-art facility housed the most advanced computers and scientific hardware on the planet, some of which was said to have been reverse engineered in the United State's Area 51. Security on and around the island was tight, and very few people in the world at large were even aware of its existence.

The scientists attached to the Project, or just simply Atlantis to most of them, were culled from the best and brightest the world had to offer, and the international team concentrated on pushing the world into the Twenty-second Century. Research ranged through a wide variety of fields; applied astrophysics, genetics, medicine, quantum engineering, alternative energy sources, botany, biology…. The list was endless, and there were even projects in weaponry and new flight technology that was tied in, again, with Area 51 and a top secret project housed in Cheyenne Mountain. The sponsoring governments and private corporations had the initial access to the advances developed on Atlantis, and eventually all of the world would be able to share in the innovations.

Atlantis was under the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Weir, a choice supported by all parties involved. Dr. Weir, who began her career as a professor of political science at Georgetown University, worked closely with the U.S. government and was instrumental in some of the most sensitive international treaties in modern history. She also served in embassies all over the world, and her last position before coming to Atlantis was as a special advisor for the United Nations. Able to speak a dozen languages, she became a logical choice for Head of Special Projects/Private Sector, and her own personal curiosity and knowledge in a wide range of fields made her a welcome presence in many of the labs on Atlantis.

Second in command, and overall Head of Project Security, was Colonel Acastus Kolya, USMC. Russian born and the son of a brilliant physicist who defected to the United States during the height of the Cold War, Kolya joined the military only after a few years of college and trying to follow in his father's scientific footsteps. It turned out to be the best choice for him. Kolya was a tactical genius and rose quickly in rank. He served gallantly in both the Gulf Conflict and Afghanistan, the latter of which earned him several commendations and his current commission. When searching for the right candidate for the sensitive position, he became a forerunner among the candidates because of his own interest in science, particularly biology and genetics. All it took was one interview – he proved to be charming, brilliant, and brought up points the Oversight Committee hadn't even considered regarding security – and he rose to the top of the short list. And when the other candidate on the list accepted another commission, he became the only name on the list.

Project Atlantis had been going strong for almost three years when a rift started to grow between the scientists and the military presence. At first it began after rumors of Kolya approving experiments without Dr. Weir's knowledge began to circulate, and when that turned into outright confirmation it started genuine animosity between the two groups. But lately Kolya's experiments were getting too questionable, even by some of his supporter's standards, and at the nearly four year anniversary of Atlantis's founding, Elizabeth's presence was being seen less and less.

Then the scientists on Atlantis learned about Kolya's real interest and the reasoning behind his experiments; the Pretenders – the races of myth and legend that were still among us and who had been hiding under the world's nose, in plain sight, for centuries. They scoffed, and joked, and questioned the chemical composition in the MRE's and how healthy they really were for a human body. Needless to say, the scientists didn't believe it at all.

But when Kolya had the vampire brought to Atlantis nine months ago, they freaked.

-oOo-

Major Lorne brought the Sikorsky in low and fast over the east shore of the island and barely cleared the tree tops. The complex was faced with native stone, and during the day it appeared as nothing more than a particularly angular rock outcropping jutting up from the center of the heavily timbered island. But once you got close you could see the reflection of clouds and sky on windows, and the microwave, radar, and communication dishes. The helipad, which was on the roof of the east wing, was the only thing marked with noticeable lights, and at night the trees blocked them as well as the light from the greenhouse and hydroponics garden on the south wing from view to anyone at sea. Even the windows were designed to not show light at night, and he never could really figure that one out. He brought the helicopter down with practiced ease and could already see a small med team with a gurney and a security detail waiting by the open door that led into the main tower. Lorne didn't relax until the rotors were on spin down – the fuel gage had been hovering near empty and in ten more minutes they would have been sucking on fumes. He did not like cutting it that close. He hit the brakes for the rotors and the people waiting approached. Kolya and his pet 'scientist' were with them, and he felt his stomach knot.

Ronon was hauling Sheppard's limp form from the cabin when the crowd arrived. "Here, now – we'll get him," Dr. Carson Beckett, Atlantis's Chief Medical Officer, said as he and his second, Dr. Jennifer Keller, reached for the unconscious man. His Scottish brogue was particularly noticeable today – something Ronon noticed happened when he was under a lot of stress. Or really angry.

"I got 'im," Ronon grunted. "He's heavier than he looks." He got Sheppard's butt on the gurney and the two doctors eased him onto his side since his hands were bound behind his back. Keller swung his legs up with a quiet grunt and dusted her hands off.

"Were there problems?" Kolya asked as he watched Lt. Ford leave the Sikorsky.

Ronon glanced that way briefly and offered a faint smirk. "Nothing we couldn't handle, colonel."

Ford glared at him, but a second later Dr. Keller was distracting him. "Let's get that nose looked at, Lieutenant," she said, her tone actually bordering on chipper, and gently tugged on his arm. He looked down at her, his expression softened, and he allowed himself to be led away. She flashed Ronon a tight little smile before they started for the open door.

Ronon's eyes actually crinkled briefly from a true smile in return.

"Bloidy hell – what did yae do, drag him through the woods behind a truck?" Beckett asked as he checked Sheppard's pulse. He grunted, then checked pupil dilation and made an alarmed noise.

"He ran. It took two darts to take him down," Ronon replied, his face set. "He started to wake up on the way back, had to hit him with another." He crossed his arms and stared at Kolya, seeming to dare the colonel to say something. That man didn't but he could hear the doctor swear under his breath.

"Really, now?" The woman who had been standing next to Kolya approached the gurney and looked down at Sheppard. Carson backed away from her and grimaced briefly like he'd smelled something particularly nasty. She was Dr. Tatiana Chaya, a Brazilian biologist that was brought in on the Project by Kolya himself in its third year. She had the looks of a model, with deep chestnut hair and porcelain skin, but her sea-blue eyes were oddly … dead. She was now running her fingers through Sheppard's spiky hair a little too intimately and smiling. "It's going to be such a fine specimen," she practically purred.

Lorne and Stackhouse stepped up next to Ronon and unknown to one another, the three men shared similarly creeped out grimaces. But they could see Carson's clearly, as well as the outrage simmering just behind his eyes.

"I am thinking about trying something different with it this time, Doctor, since our last specimen was so highly … uncooperative," Kolya said as he placed a hand on Chaya's shoulder. He was staring down at Sheppard, too, and looked rather amused. She turned her head and pouted up at him.

"That's good," Lorne muttered under his breath. "The last one kicked my ass."

Ronon glanced at him and smirked. "She wasn't so tough," he muttered back, and got a really smarmy sneer in reply.

"What, exactly, do you have in mind?" Carson asked cautiously. He didn't mask his displeasure in the least bit.

"Now, now, Dr. Beckett – no need to take that tone with me," Kolya replied, all silk and friendliness. "I thought that perhaps we might try to … befriend it this time." His mask slipped a little with that word, but it was soon back. "Gain its trust first, make it willing to unlock its secrets." A short silence fell over the group as a light mist of rain began to fall.

"That's … utterly preposterous," Chaya said.

"You forcibly abduct him, and you expect him to just blithely forget that fact?" Carson said. He let out a short, humorless laugh. "I think you're sadly underestimating your own skills in the hospitality department, colonel."

Kolya's expression darkened, and now a very tense quiet settled over the group. Ronon found himself stepping a little closer to Carson before it even registered he'd done so, and the two other silent guards behind the colonel tensed and moved closer to their CO. But Chaya broke the silence. "It, it is nothing but a, an animal," she spat. She grabbed a handful of Sheppard's hair and gave his head a shake for emphasis. "What makes you think …."

"Tatiana, dear," Kolya said, the silk back but his face still hard. "This animal managed to pass itself off as human for nearly eight years in the United States Air Force. Personally, I think I would like to know how it managed to do that, and locking it in a cage and picking it apart piece by piece like you've done to several of your other specimens may make it even more uncooperative than the female." His hand was still resting on her shoulder and he squeezed. "So we shall try it this way." She still glowered at him, and he applied more pressure. "Humor me."

It was a battle of wills now, and it was the doctor who broke first. She let out a short cry and tried to back away from his grip. He held on until she finally said, "Yes, colonel." Then he finally let go. She dropped her shoulder to get away from his grip and backed up, but she refused to rub what had to be one hell of a sore spot.

"Good." Kolya's smile returned, but there was no warmth in it. "Dr. Beckett, get it to the infirmary, make sure it's comfortable when it awakes. Dr. Chaya, make sure you're there when it does." He started to walk away, but suddenly stopped and turned to point at Chaya. "And Tatiana – play nice. You two, stay with her and make sure she does," he said to the two guards. He turned and headed for the door, his step actually jaunty.

Carson stood there, his mouth partially open. His expression flitted between shock and disgust before he finally looked at Ronon. "He's insane," he said. "If Elizabeth were here right now she would …." His words trailed off as he caught Chaya watching him, her mouth crooked into an amused smile.

"What would she do, Doctor?" she said. "Oh, that's right – apparently nothing, since she's already approved these experiments."

Carson ran a hand up over his short hair and settled it on his neck before he muttered, "Like bloidy hell she has," he said quietly through his teeth.

Chaya sneered at him, then quickly set her face into a neutral smile and tugged her jacket straight. "I will meet you in the infirmary," she said and calmly turned and walked off, her two shadows close behind.

Despite the rain now picking up, they waited until she was inside. "Lads, could you help me?" Carson said and gestured wearily toward the gurney and Sheppard's still form.

"Gladly, doc," Lorne replied and took up a spot on one side and raised its rail. He glanced over his shoulder. "Sergeant, please take care of the equipment."

"Yes, sir," Stackhouse replied and offered a quick salute.

Ronon pulled a knife and cut the cords binding Sheppard's arms and legs. That earned him a grateful nod from the doctor. Then he helped Beckett reposition him onto his back before he took up a spot at the foot of the gurney, and the three men pushed it away in silence.

End Note: Hee. Did I not say parts of this would be taking a left turn at Albuquerque? Bwa ha ha ha ha!