Silence reigned over the vast body of water that surrounded Atlantis. The sun was still under the horizon, painting the morning sky pink. The waves moved lazily, caressing the walls of the city. The breeze was salty and fresh and Elizabeth took a deep breath as she stepped out on the balcony. She had woken from a restless sleep in the small hours of the morning and found she couldn't go back to sleep. She got dressed and thought a walk might help clear her mind and put order to her thoughts before the early meeting she had with Sheppard and his team and the rest of the senior staff. She found herself in the South pier soon enough.
Eve had Rodney. Sheppard was convinced of it.
The very thought nauseated her. Was he still alive? Was he under her influence again? And if so, would he resist rescue? She couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. But she couldn't have foreseen what happened. She couldn't have...
She gritted her teeth in frustration for the hundredth time. Everett's arrival didn't help at all. She didn't need to deal with matters of authority right now on top of everything else.
She had always managed to come across as self confident, but now the skill that made her a great negotiator seemed to fail her. She was tired and weary.
She needed McKay back. She tried to convince herself that it was for the greater good, that it was for the sake of Atlantis, but here and now, out on the pier with the soft breeze in her hair, she had to admit she wanted him back just for herself. She needed the familiarity of her senior staff. She had been so grateful for not losing any of them. She didn't want anyone else to be CSO.
She needed a break, but the world waited for no one. One last deep breath and she left the quiet solitude of the balcony. She took a shortcut to the cafeteria to grab some of the Athosian version of black tea and then, mug in hand, she went straight to the conference room.
Everett was already there, along with his second in command, some Marine called Matthers.
"Good morning, Colonel. I hope your first hours in our city were pleasant." Elizabeth almost purred, knowing Everett wouldn't miss the challenge behind it. She settled in at the head of the table and placing her tea in front of her.
Everett just smiled and took the seat at the other end of the table. Matthers sat on his right.
Elizabeth was glad their incipient duel was interrupted by Sheppard, Beckett, Ford, Teyla and Zelenka's arrival. They all sat around the table. Sheppard stubbornly avoided looking at the empty chair in front of him. He looked like she felt: worn out. Rodney had been missing for a little over thirty-two hours.
Clearing her throat Elizabeth opened the meeting.
"Good morning, everyone," Elizabeth said. Let's not waste any time on formalities, Dr. Zelenka, were you able to retrieve any addresses?"
"I was," Radek affirmed. "We have forty-three gate addresses from DHD." Radek's English was worst when he was tired and his accent sounded stronger. "It's just addresses. We recognize some of them, not Wraith worlds. Some Genii worlds. Maybe they-"
"It was Eve," Sheppard said, interrupting the scientist. His tone of voice was tense, almost angry.
"Is there a way to refine this search? Forty-three addresses are too many to check out. We don't have the time or manpower to run a rescue operation of this magnitude. Especially not now," Everett said.
"The Wraith have stopped advancing on us," John snapped. "Dr. McKay's only been missing a little over thirty-two hours. We don't risk anything by trying-"
"Says who, Major?" Everett cut John off, emphasizing Sheppard's rank, as if to point to its inferiority to his own. "I think we're risking a great deal, and for just one man. If the Wraith are truly retreating, and not just coordinating an attack, I say we don't give them reasons to change their minds!"
"With all due respect, sir, if they do change their minds we'll need McKay here." John fought to keep the contempt and anger out of his voice.
"I've read the report on the situation," Everett said. "If the Wraith female has him and has gotten inside his head again, he's no good to us. If he is addicted to the enzyme again-and Doctor Beckett, please correct me if I'm wrong here-he has little to no chance of coming off of it for the second time alive."
Beckett looked grim and refused to respond to the challenge. Recovering from enzyme addiction was straining on the human body and he didn't want to think how hard and horrible it would be doing that twice in such a short period of time. He only hoped Rodney had been kidnapped by anyone but Eve.
"Well?" Everett prompted impatiently. "Why would we go through all that trouble saving someone who could die coming off the enzyme?" the colonel made his point, leaning back in his chair.
Elizabeth wanted to pound her fist against the table and scream because I say so in Everett's ear. Instead, she squared her shoulders and spoke in a controlled tone. "We cannot afford not to." She hated what she had to say. She didn't want to say the words, as if she didn't, it wouldn't be true. But it was. She let out a breath and continued, ignoring Sheppard's hard gaze. "If indeed he has been abducted by Eve and she can once again influence him like she had before, he is a liability. His skills and knowledge are a danger in the hands of our enemies. He might be able to withstand torture at the hands of the Genii, although he has no training in that area so I don't..." She trailed off, wishing she could run to her room and bang her head against the first hard surface she encountered.
Everett turned to face her. The look in his eyes was unreadable.
"I see. Well, then I suggest you make haste in finding your wayward scientist. And when you do, either bring him back or make sure the enemy can't make use of his skills. I trust Major Sheppard is fully capable of doing just that."
He rose and left the conference room after that.
"Did you see Eve on that planet, Major?" Elizabeth turned to Sheppard, schooling her voice and features.
"No. But I know it was her. There were Wraith attacking us when he disappeared. How soon does my team have a go on the rescue mission?" the way he avoided looking her in the eye as he spoke sickened her.
"Where are you going? There is no clue in the addresses we retrieved from the DHD. We don't know where to look for him! This is just useless!" Carson broke his silence, helpless anger seeping through his accented speech.
***
Rodney knew he was in deep shit when he woke up alone and shivering, naked and curled around himself in the web hammock. He went around the room to retrieve his clothing, but it seemed to have vanished. There was no food or water on the makeshift table in the corner where he was used to find nourishment before. He sat opposite to the door, leaning against the wall.
As terror rushed through him he fought to clear his head enough to think. There was no way out. He could not operate Wraith technology to let himself out of the Fortress, and even if he could he would simply suffocate on the desert surface of the moon. There had to be a way to get to the planet and the Stargate... Probably by dart. Lucky him! He had no idea how to fly a dart!
I can figure it out. I'm a genius, remember? No, I can't who am I kidding? I'm so, so dead! He tried to get his breathing back under control. Great way to go out! A true blaze of glory, hyperventilating to death is really heroic!
Realization struck just as he was berating himself. Death. It was the only answer. It was the way out.
"Okay, okay!" he spoke out loud, hands moving in tandem with his thoughts as always. "I need to die. Uh... No big deal... Right. How to die? How to die? How to die?"
He stood and started pacing. He had never pondered suicide before. There was nothing to hang himself from, nothing sharp or cutting to make himself bleed to death with-no gun, obviously. "Great! And she'll never do it for me. Not before I give her what she wants... Fuck! I'm so fucked!" Maybe if he had ever taken the time to study more hand to hand combat, he would be able to snap his own neck like those guys in bad karate flicks did. If it was at all possible for a person to snap their own neck, that is.
"Asphyxiation!" he almost shouted, triumphantly, and smacked himself on the forehead.
He rushed over to the entrance and, kneeling beside the membrane covering it, he started working on opening it. The damned thing felt like rubber, but if he had to give a wild guess he'd bet it was some weird hybrid of chewing gum and steel.
He was still unsuccessfully pulling and pushing at the slick membrane door when it suddenly opened. He had no time to register what was happening before he was picked up and thrown across the room. His head impacted with the floor as he didn't even try to break the fall. He was dizzy as he stood, trying to purposely anger and challenge who or whatever had come to pay him a visit. But then he froze. In front of him stood a figure at least seven feet tall. It wasn't Eve. Large fangs adorned the creature's mouth that was curled back in a sneer. Long white hair covered bony shoulders, and... and...
"Are those wings?" Rodney croaked out as he took in the appendages that rose from those shoulders like the wings of a pterodactyl. He only took a moment to stare in awe before he pulled himself together and launched an attack. "Come on, you fucking mutated bat! Kill me!" he screamed, hoping it would be swift and as painless as possible.
"My Queen wishes to see you, human," The bat thundered, and rendered Rodney motionless embarrassingly easily. It felt like the creature had more then two hands as well. A thin band of metal was fastened around Rodney's left wrist, and he was released. "This way." The giant motioned towards the doorway.
Gathering all his courage and feeling already high on adrenalin, McKay stood still, chin jutting at an impossible angle. "Make me!"
The creature just looked at him for a couple of seconds with its golden-yellow eyes, before grabbing the back of Rodney's neck and lifting him as if he were a naughty cat.
Rodney kicked out helplessly and to no avail. Another hand closed around his right calf and pulled. Rodney whimpered as he felt every vertebrae in his spine pop. He was then carried away, unable to kick anymore, but screaming.
***
The punching bag swayed violently as the soldier delivered blow after blow. He was not good at waiting. He was even less good at being helpless. With a roar he renewed his efforts and flung himself at the bag with even more momentum. Only when his legs gave out in sheer exhaustion did he stop. He staggered over to the wall and slid down against it, arms shaking, muscles spasming. Everett had made it an official order to take McKay out if extraction proved difficult.
Sheppard gathered himself off the floor and headed for the showers. He had a plan, but he needed to speak to Dr. Hanozeri first. He needed her help and he needed to think of a way to convince her to do everything unofficially. He wasn't going to shoot his friend, no matter who ordered it. Not if there was any other way around it. He knew Elizabeth was right, he knew they couldn't let the Wraith have Rodney McKay's mind working on their behalf, but to just go on a mission to take him out was unacceptable.
The water was hot on his skin and John braced himself, palms flat against the wall, and bowed his head under the spray. It was too hot and burned him everywhere it touched, like small needles piercing his skin and turning it red. The steam filled his nostrils and he felt dizzy fighting for a breath. His muscles melted under the assault of hot water and he sank to his knees with a thud. John leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the wall.
He wasn't crying.
As he jogged down the hallway to his quarters, his hair still dripping water from his shower, John prayed. For the first time in years, he prayed to a God he had stopped believing in when he was seven. Right now he needed to believe. He needed the comforting thought that a force greater than anything could be persuaded to work on his side if only he prayed hard enough.
After he changed his clothes he headed toward the Anthropology department, Sheppard felt better, and there was no sign of his earlier breakdown. He looked exactly the way a military commander should. Only the look in his eyes was darker than usual.
"Dr. Hanozeri, would you join me for a cup of coffee?" he asked in a casual voice as he found her perched over a desk covered in papers. She looked up, obviously startled, and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
***
Rodney was taken through what seemed like a labyrinth of narrow corridors. Finally the creature carrying him stopped. He could see a pair of feet peering from under the heavy material of a gown. He knew who the feet belonged to even before he was unceremoniously dropped on the floor and looked up to confirm his thoughts.
The Wraith smiled at him in her unusual way, lips parting slightly.
He pulled himself together and stood in front of her.
"Eve," he greeted her halfheartedly, feeling self-conscious under her gaze. He instinctively covered his genitals with his hands. It was a silly pose, really, especially considering that she had seen and experienced the very parts he was hiding. His heart was thrumming in his chest as he cleared his throat to speak. "May I have some clothes? It's a bit chilly in here."
"I am not pleased," she said. "Kneel before me and address me properly!"
McKay swallowed around the lump in his throat and stood still. He wasn't keen on pain and torture, but maybe if he angered her enough she would feed him to her winged beast.
Taking in his defiance, Eve rose from her throne and strode down a few steps to stand in front of him.
"How am I going to present you at the gathering if you cannot obey the simplest orders?" She spoke in a deceivingly soft voice, one hand caressing his cheek. Her fingers wrapped around his neck in a gesture that was by now eerily familiar. Her other hand found the bracelet on his wrist and squeezed around it. The metal heated against his skin until it was unbearably hot in only a few seconds.
His eyes closed tight, Rodney let a sigh escape his dried lips. The heat spread then, as if traveling through his veins and filled him from head to toe. He was shivering when she let him go and he staggered a few steps backwards.
"Address me properly."
Rodney felt his knees bending and his lips spoke against his will.
"Hail to thee, Queen of the Mekrane. I kneel before you, my Queen." His head bowed until his chin touched his chest.
"Much better."
He looked up at the sound of her voice, his confusion all over his features.
"You don't understand?" she asked mockingly. "I knew I couldn't enter your thoughts and control them anymore, by any means. But I need your help and I don't have time to break your resolve. So I called for help. He is my First Mate, the One Who Bares the Light."
"How many mates do you have?" Rodney asked, still looking at the floor, as he regained control of his voice. He hoped that maybe the seven foot tall beast would maybe kill him in a fit of jealousy.
"As many as I need." She smiled as the beast came to stand by her. "Now, shall we go and meet my sisters?"
***
Eve felt much closer to her old self as she walked into the Meeting hall with the human on one side and Lucifer on the other. With his help she might actually be able to control the human enough to obtain what she needed, what they all needed. After the new feeding grounds were secured she could fight the rest of her battles. She could keep her new-found emotions under control until then. They were just reminiscent traits the Lanteans had inscribed into her being, nothing more, and they would fade as quickly as they surfaced.
She had nearly forgotten about her First Mate. In her fight against hunger and insanity some of her memories had faded. But the human, Rodney, had brought the memories back. He truly had wanted to please her-he had cared. She had not felt anything but cold and clinical or forced and hurried touches in so long...
As she crept out of the holding area leaving her human lover asleep, she knew where to turn. Her First Mate, Lucifer, was the only creature she knew of to be stronger then herself. It was the only chance for her own survival.
So she had taken a fight vessel to the Ring and relied on memory to dial the address. She hoped he would still be there. He had to be. Once there, everything came back to her with renewed force. She could find her way through the underground passages blindfolded if she had to.
It was his world, and even after thousands of years she could still feel him there... She could smell him. She didn't allow herself to be distracted by memories as she carefully made her way deeper and deeper in the chain of caves.
He was asleep, with his knees drawn tight against his chest, wings closed over himself like a shield. The sight took her breath away. The sheet of dust covering his skin told her he had been asleep for a long time. Would he know her? Would he be able to remember his Lilith? Or had his mind succumbed to the loneliness and madness that threatened them all?
Lilith approached carefully and sank to her knees next to him. For a fraction of a second she thought maybe he was dead, nothing left but an empty shell to tell any visitors of the pain of feeding on oneself. But she could feel he was alive under all that dust.
She wiped the velvety surface of his wings, moving her hand carefully. Then she ventured to lift the wing away and it folded in on itself with ease. He was awake. He must have felt her ever since she set foot through the Ring.
His eyes opened slowly, lazily, and his lips drew back reveling fangs. She let her hand trail over his face and pushed his hair back. He moved slowly, bones cracking in their sockets, stiff muscles vibrating. She helped him sit up and he arched his shoulders and opened his wings, extending them to full span. They were as magnificent as she remembered.
He reached out, palm upward, not breaking eye contact, but when she lowered her hand over his and the slits in their palms touched, his eyes closed and he tilted his head.
"Lilitu..." his voice sounded like sandpaper and yet soothed her in ways she had forgotten. She laced their fingers together and his wings closed around her, wrapping her in cool darkness that smelled of dust and him. She opened her mind to him, eagerly showing him all she had been through, all she had learned or felt since they had been apart. He did the same and agreed to join her for the moment.
With him on her side she was truly undefeatable. She only hoped he would be on her side long enough.
