Forebodings

As we dock, the tension palpably eases, though the excitement builds in the scientists. For the others, this more or less a chore—certainly more stimulating than laundry, but it does not electrify them as exploring other planets does.

But I can neither be excited nor bored, only apprehensive. The edges of my mind burn with the strength of a wraith awakening somewhere nearby, and the sense of foreboding in my gut only intensifies as the door of the Puddle Jumper opens to admit us to the station.

I cannot help but feel…lost here. Even more than I do on Atlantis. She and I, we have come to a truce of sorts. She may not like me, and her medical equipment may still try to 'fry' me, but at least she lets me use the doors and the showers and the kitchens and the like.

As we walk through the dark halls, I sense that everyone else is also feeling nervous to a degree. This place is not so welcoming as Atlantis, and the gloomy light and dark walls serve as a terrifying reminder that we are thousands of feet under water, with millions of gallons of sea waiting to crush us.

"Mary, I want you to help the scientists set up in here," John orders me when we finally reach the main control room. I nod. I really want to help them explore this place, but I understand that he may want to do some 'recon' first, without the green kid to distract them.

One of the scientists is trying to attach his laptop to one of the stations, but seems unaware that he will shortly fry them both if he tries to shove that wire into that junction, so I grab his hand before he can waste oxygen on an electrical fire.

"What?" he asks and glares at me with the look that says 'wraith, take your hand off me and let me do my work that you couldn't understand'.

"You were about to electrocute yourself and destroy this equipment," I inform him calmly, taking the wire and inserting it into the proper connector. "This is a geological stability and potential geothermal energy monitoring station. It is somewhat different from the other Lantean work stations."

"Oh."

I hold out my hand in the traditional earth greeting. "I am Mairghread. But you may call me 'Mary'. Most people do."

He seems mollified for the moment and so shakes my hand. "I'm Dr. Dickenson. Nice to meet you, Mary. And, uh, thanks for saving me from frying myself."

"My pleasure," I smile and tap the laptop's screen, since I can't use the station proper, and hand it back to him. "There you are. Just be careful where you put your wires."

Rodney is running a bio-scan; I stop, hoping that the scan will show that the wraith presence I feel is just an effect of the immense pressure. But when the only wraith life-sign that appears on the translucent screen is my own, I feel only a slight relief. I cannot shake the foreboding sensation that appeared when I first felt the presence.

And so I put it to the back of my mind as I help the scientists set up. Some of them are relative 'newbies', and this is their first off-Atlantis experience. Some the equipment is unfamiliar to them as well, and since I have an encyclopedic knowledge of technologies in this galaxy, I am constantly having to stop them from doing things that with any other piece of Ancient technology would be perfectly fine, but here would result in disaster.

"I know, Rodney, but I am sensing it even closer now," I hear Mum say from the center of the control room. I stand up from my spot in the corner helping Graydon to watch the exchange.

"Of course you are! Mary's just over there!" Rodney gestures distractedly in my direction.

"No, another one," she protests quietly but adamantly.McKay sighs heavily. "Well, maybe it's the pressure. It's been known to do things to the mind."

John has his dangerous look on as he grinds out, "Just humour me and check again."

Rodney sighs irritably and activate the life-signs detector again, showing twelve human signs and one wraith one, me."There. All of these life signs have been accounted for," he says smugly. "Humoured?"

"Mary?"

I turn to see Dickenson and Graydon working on a station in an alcove a few feet away.

"Coming!" and so I walk over to help them, leaving Rodney and John still sniping at one another. However, the fact that Mum felt the presence as well, while somewhat reassuring as it means I'm not losing my mind, makes the bottom of the pit in my stomach drop out all together. No matter what the life-signs detector says, there is another wraith nearby, and something very bad is about to happen.

TBC

Next: Approaching Doom

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has shown their support for the story thus far, and for all my Atlantis stories. Please hit the little purple button to let me know what you think, what you would like to see, etc. All feed back welcome.