Imposter

Part Three

"She has always been easy to manipulate, must be her wraith blood," Michael growled as he stepped into the clearing. "You must think that I am stupid to have left evidence behind for your 'friends' to find."

Andrew turned his body to face Michael. Michael stood with not just Nathanial and Seamus, but with three other full wraith guards, their faces hidden by the hard, terrifying masks. The six figures loomed over the three Atlantis team members. Michael was dressed in a full-length black leather coat; his spiky silver hair seemed gold in the setting sun.

Andrew kept his hands on Teyla's, still trying to keep her from closing her grip and choking Rodney. Teyla had Rodney pinned to the ground with her legs wrapped around his waist; her hands were strong as they clutched his neck with a vice-like force.

Andrew could hear John's concerned voice in his ear, calling for first Rodney, then Teyla, and finally him. The sound of P-90 gunfire cracked through the evening sky and the sound of John's voice became desperate. "Hold on, we're coming. We're taking fire; the woods are full of wraith. Rodney? Andrew? Can you hear me? Answer me!"

Andrew swallowed a cry of fear before addressing the hybrid wraith. "Why are ye doing this? Why can't ye just let us go? We don't mean ye any harm. Please, Michael, let Teyla and Rodney go," Andrew's voice was calm even as his hands struggled to keep Teyla from hurting Rodney more.

"'WE?' When did you become embedded with them? You know how much I did for you, 'Andrew.' It can be that way again. Just walk away with me, and you will have everything you can imagine," Michael's voice seemed to pound into Andrew's head, battling with him for control. Andrew struggled against the compulsion to run to Michael.

Andrew shook his head, attempting to clear the pressure which was building in his mind. "I know the truth, Michael," he stammered, the words seemed to be heavy, and he struggled to even speak them. Even his hands seem to weigh too much to lift anymore. He found that he was loosing control over Teyla's hands, and he could hear Rodney gasp for air and struggle beneath her. "Please, Michael…if it is me ye want, I'll go…with ye. Just…let them go. Please."

Michael observed him through dark gold slits. He crossed the short distance between them and lifted Andrew off the ground, dragging him away from Teyla and Rodney. "You do not have a choice, Carson! You will be coming with me!" Michael's furious words where like knives in Andrew's brain, causing him to cry out in pain that drowned out Michael's words.

"Bring those two as well," Michael growled at the wraith guards, while he dragged Andrew behind him and headed for the gate. Andrew struggled to keep his feet under him, but he could feel his legs hitting every rock and stick on the ground. He knew they were leaving large bruises on his body, but that was nothing compared to the fire that burned in his head. Michael's angry voice echoed inside his head, stabbing him repeatedly and leaving him reeling from the power of the former wraith's mind. Andrew struggled not to loose consciousness as he felt himself slipping into a welcoming, painless oblivion.

"No! Sheppard! Ronon! Michael is here, help!" Rodney screamed, finding his voice as Teyla was pulled off him by two of the wraith guards. "Andrew, wake up! You have to fight him. Let go, you vampires. Arghhh!"

Andrew didn't remember most of the painful trip back to the gate. He hovered between fighting off Michael's mind intrusion and loosing the battle with his conscious mind. As he was dropped at the foot of the gate, he could feel blood running down his leg where something had dug deeply into his left thigh.

Andrew's mind cleared momentarily as Michael became preoccupied with other things. Rodney was thrown down next to him. Andrew reached out to take his pulse, and check him for injuries, as the doctor in him took over.

"Andrew, are you ok? You're bleeding," Rodney whispered the obvious. Rodney actually brushed Andrew's searching hands away as he struggled to get to his feet. "We've got to fight them; we can't let them take us through the gate. If we go through the gate with them, we might as well say goodbye!"

Before either man could get to his feet, Michael was there again. "Quiet! Did I say either of you could speak? You are only making your own deaths more painful – the angrier I get, the more agonizing your deaths will be." He gripped Andrew's arm, yanking him up even as he shoved Rodney back to the ground.

"Michael, please," Andrew hated hearing the pleading tone in his voice, but he needed to save his friends. "I will do what ye want, I'll go willingly. We made mistakes, but ye can be better than that. Let Rodney and Teyla go, and I'll fix what Carson did to you."

"What Carson did?!" The cold laughter cut through the cool evening air like a knife. "You mean what you did! Do you think I would actually waste my time on some clone? I wanted you to punish, not the fake I sent back to Atlantis."

It was like flood gates opening. Carson stared up into the golden eyes of the wraith, letting the memories wash over him.

"Dr. Beckett, I think I found a patch of rotutas flower; they are a slightly different type, but it may have a higher concentration of medicinal properties. Follow me, and I'll show you," Dr. Stanford sounded pinched and forced, but Carson ignored it, chalking it up to being new.

"We'll be right back, lad," Carson said to Lieutenant Briggs as they headed into the woods. "I think we might have found a jackpot."

"Keep in touch, doc. I don't want to have to go searching for you two," the young lieutenant said as the two men walked away.

Carson and Stanford picked through the trees to the edge of an embankment. Carson had tried to make small talk with the little American botanist. "Where did ye grow up, lad?"

"I grew up in Chicago," Stanford answered shortly. He was a small man, with balding dark hair that stuck up in the back. His dark eyes shifted around nervously. Carson found it slightly amusing that he was the calm one here.

"I was there briefly for a conference once. I dinn'a have enough time to really see anything except the Art Institute there. Oh, and the airport. Did ye go to school there?" Andrew continued to try putting the new man at ease.

"No, I went to the University of Iowa." Again a short answer.

"I haven't been to Iowa. Did they have a good botany program? How did ye end up at the SGC?" The two men picked their way down the embankment and reached a fast stream.

"The rotutas patch is just up on the other side of the stream," Stanford left Carson's questions unanswered, as he picked his way across the stream on a rock path. Carson made a face; it was his turn to be nervous. He viewed the stream with apprehension and was just taking his first few steps across the stream when a honeyed voice pulled him up short.

"Well, well, well, we meet again, doctor!" Michael's voice froze Carson mid-step. Carson turned, only to find his path back to the other Atlanteans blocked by Michael, along with Merrick and a few other wraith hybrids that Carson could remember from his captivity.

"Stanford run, we need to get out of here!" Carson reached his hand up to open a radio channel before he was hit from behind by the botanist.

As Merrick pulled him from the rushing water, Carson became aware of a silent figure standing behind Michael. As the spiky-haired wraith stepped out of the way, Carson was horrified to see himself, standing silently, his face impassive and devoid of emotion.

"You will pay for what you did to me, but for now I have other plans for you," Michael stepped towards him and took his head between his hands. "Now…let's begin!"

Carson was not prepared for the assault on his mind. He felt memories and emotions ripped from him, leaving him open and exposed. When Michael had finished with him, Carson sank wearily to the ground as Michael faced the doppelganger, gripping him in a similar manner. The other Carson tilted his head back and he gasped softly before taking on a dazed look. Once Michael had finished, he turned to Stanford.

"You had better figure out a way to make this work, or we will have no reason to protect you any longer," Michael threatened, before shoving the other Carson towards the botanist.

Carson watched fearfully as Stanford pushed him roughly into the water where the dazed man hit his head on a rock. The little botanist struggled by himself to pull the muddled man to the edge of the stream.

"Time to leave, doctor. Your sentence has just begun," Michael's voice dropped to a new low as Merrick pulled him to his feet and dragged him away from the stream, and further from the other Atlanteans.

"Oh, crap… I am Carson!" His voice broke with emotion.

"Your memory came back faster than I expected. You're 'friends' will be sorry to loose you again," Michael managed to make the word friends sound like a slur. "You will not survive the day! I have no intention of letting you live, but whether Teyla or McKay survive is up to you and your cooperation."

The gunfire sounded closer, and Michael pulled Carson up as the gate activated in front of them.

Rodney began to struggle with his captor, kicking as he tried to free his arm. "Andrew, Teyla, we have to fight. Let go of me, you blood sucker!" Rodney sounded shrill as his voice rose higher. The two wraiths roughly smacked him as they attempted to subdue him, leaving the scientist senseless.

Carson turned his head to find Teyla. "Lass, we need to get away," he said just as his eyes reached her. He could then see that Teyla would be no help, she stood impassively beside one of the wraith guards, unresisting as she was pushed towards the event horizon.

The nine figures began to step toward into the event horizon. None of the three Atlanteans fought, two were dazed while the third, Carson, resigned himself to making as few waves as possible.

Carson looked back as Michael pulled him into the gate, just in time to see John and Ronon sprinting into the meadow. John screamed in frustration, while Ronon barreled towards the gate.

At that moment Carson felt the rush as he was swallowed up by the gate, leaving two of his friends behind.

TBC
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