Selection Factor10
John stared round. Hands on his hips as he surveyed the consoles. The soft lights. The power humming in the room. The Ancient screens active, just waiting as they had risen from the desks at her touch. More conventional computer screens were displayed. Cursors blinking patiently. A few files littered the desks. A few books. A discarded bag of chips that made him briefly smile. He looked back at his wife who was watching him, waiting. The amber lights playing off the blue-green walls to frame her in watery hues. "Bio two?" he finally asked.
"Yes. Known only to a few of us, John. And now to you. The work we've been doing here, well, we needed a private place for it. Off the main grid, so to speak. Look. I will show you."
"And this is the mutiny?" he asked, as she turned and powered up a monitor. Keyed in a password and activated the data to display.
"Yes. Sort of. Look. I've been comparing population densities and diversities. Over the course of centuries, John, because I've been trained to think like that. Evolution, you know. Originally I was concentrating on the Wraith. With the migratory pattern extrapolated backwards to find the breeding ground. But your question kept haunting me, so I ran a comparison study on the Ancients. We had to comb through so much data and extraneous material to form a–"
"Question? What question?" he asked, stepping to stand behind her. He eyed the screen. "How long as this been going on, Moira?"
"Awhile, John. Your question about the Ancients. The ATA gene. Why they wouldn't specifically breed for it, or why they couldn't. I seem to be fixated on all this breeding stuff lately. Don't know why." She glanced at him, touched her baby bump.
He smiled briefly. But became serious. "How long is awhile, Moira?"
"A, a few months. I wasn't going to say anything until we had all of the data. No sense in presenting anything until we had finished. It's all just research right now. Sit." She took a seat. Waited. "John?"
He took the seat next to her. Frowned. "I don't like this, Moira. Why do you need to hide this research anyway? Well?"
"For one, it's nothing pressing, or has to do with any of our current assignments. Two, we needed privacy to comb through the records and data without being interrupted. Three...we...there are things about the Ancients, John, that some people won't accept."
"You mean Elizabeth, don't you?" he realized. "What things?"
Moira turned to the computer. "Look at this. Population densities. I've narrowed it down to selection factors. These two columns here. One Wraith. One Ancient. Of course a lot of this is supposition but I have solid facts for most of it. And these–"
"Selection factors? You mean like natural selection, right? All of that stuff, the survival of the fittest and all that Darwin stuff?"
She smiled. "Yeah, that Darwin stuff. But natural selection is only the tip of the iceberg. Look here. Two populations. One initially created by the other. Both developing along natural and later artificial lines. Adaptation to their environments. The Wraith. Stabilizing selection. It occurs when a population is so well-adapted to its environment that deviant mutants are being eliminated due to selective pressure acting on the phenotype. The actual appearance of the organisms, but also in this case it is regulating the genotype, the genetic constitution of an organism. In this case bred into specific classes, specific functions to serve the hive, like bees. I think there's a strict order of things in Wraith society, otherwise they couldn't function as effectively as they do."
"Okay, got that. Next?"
"The Ancients. Here." She tapped the screen. "Splitting selection. Individual genomes that occur most frequently are being pushed back the strongest so individuals with specific and marginal characteristics or genomes have an advantage and are better able to assert themselves in the population. Leading to an eventual population split which can result in the creation of two separate species."
"You mean the ATA gene, don't you? To promote those with the ATA gene to produce those with the ATA gene. Except not everyone has it, or gets it...so those individuals are left without it. Second-class citizens, so to speak. Ah. Okay."
Moira turned to him. "Over the centuries, John. But do you know what is strange? It's all back to your question. It should be transforming selection. Due to the changing environmental conditions, such as the rise of the Wraith as a formidable enemy, let's say, a one-sided selection pressure should have favored individuals with certain alleles so that their proportion increased in the population. Those with the ATA gene should have increased exponentially, through either natural or more likely artificial means. But they didn't. Why?"
John shrugged. "Beats me. Unless the Ancients desired to control the gene. To keep a monopoly on it. They certainly didn't distribute it widely to human populations out here, now did they? Hell, they didn't even inform them about it. About what it could do. How it could be used to activate the Ancient tech and help defend themselves against the Wraith. The very Wraith that were created by the Ancients. Right?"
"Yes." She shut down the monitor. Took his hands into his. "John...I don't know whether the Wraith were created by accident or design. Maybe both."
"But you have a theory," he surmised, voice lowering as hers did. Although they were alone. Secluded.
"Yes. Carson thinks it was by accident. I'm sure Weir does too. But I think...I think it was deliberate. With unintended consequences that even the Ancients couldn't foresee, or stop. And then I think once the process started it couldn't be stopped. Nature took over. Evolution. The species evolved, John, just as we did from our own humble beginnings as primitive primates up to our first arguably human ancestors Homo ergaster. But remember, John, our evolution isn't linear. There are many side branches, diversification which led to dead ends and other ancestors which didn't even lead to us. There were several species of humans, not just us. I think the same thing happened here, to the Ancients, in theory, and certainly to the Wraith. We've encountered a few of those side branches, like on Pleistocene Park, and the aquatic females, remember?"
"Don't remind me," he grimaced at the memory of those pale, pale female forms. Swarming like sirens of old to lead men to their deaths below the waves. "Ah. But like our own evolution those older, earlier forms died out, right? The stronger ones, the ones better adapted to the environment won out. Survival of the fittest." He smiled.
"Yes, John. You're right. It's more complex for the Wraith, being composed of two species. That leaves twice as many variants. Of the humans and of the Iratus bug. And then there's the whole ATA gene that comes into play for one population but not for the second. And that brings in the whole protein research."
John's gaze lowered to her baby bump. "Okay...so far I'm with you, Moira. I think. Our son has a double ATA gene. What does that mean?"
"I don't know. Yet. But it's not harmful," she assured.
"And somehow the Wraith can't access that gene here. But they did in the alternate reality, by means of the harvest." He caressed her fingers in his. "And somehow they managed to override whatever prevents the gene from entering their systems here."
"Yes. Something to do with the proteins. They are all proteins, John! It's so complex, the various biochemical interactions of the enzyme. The Hoffans produced an artificial serum that blocked the Wraith's enzyme and thus prevented them from feeding. But it killed both the Wraith and the host body. Yet, the natural version that Ronon carries does neither, but it does prevent the Wraith from feeding on him. Carson hasn't been able to find that crucial difference yet. I think it was a natural adaptation in the human populations due to the predation of the Wraith on subsequent generations, altering the populations so much a natural defense evolved, but only in a few, not in everyone. Like the ATA gene, in that it only occurs in a few, not everyone."
"Random selection," John mused. "Sounds like. So why couldn't either of those thing be duplicated or created artificially? Successfully, that is. What prevented them?"
"Exactly. That's the question, John. We have to back. To the beginning. The beginnings of Atlantis. The beginnings of the Wraith."
"The beginnings of the Ancients." John glanced at the monitors. Met her gaze. "Who were once human, right? Or a version of human. Until they evolved too."
"Yes...we believe so. We've been having trouble accessing the older records. Parts were destroyed, either intentionally or not when the city was under attack. And sank." She leaned closer, her voice falling softly. "John...we...I think, I think it's the same thing. I mean the beginning of both species...John...it will be in the same place. John...I think...I think that their beginnings may be one and the same."
John stared at her a moment. Processing all the information. Moira sat back but he pulled her to him. Kissed her. A long, savoring kiss even as his mind raced over all of her words, her theories. The things she knew. The things she didn't know. "So."
Moira waited, but that was all he said. He stood, freeing her hands. Eying the lab again, as if assessing it for any potential threats or dangers. "John?"
He met her gaze. "Have you found the planet yet?"
She smiled for a moment. As always he cut to the point. "No. Not yet. But we're close."
"How much have you been able to access here?"
She considered, not sure where he was going. "Most systems. We've kept the power down to a minimum to avoid detection. Mainly the archives. John?"
He moved to a console. Touched it. Frowned. "It barely registers. It needs your magic touch?"
"Yes. I think because of the lower power levels, but I could be wrong. Why?"
"Curious, that's all." He turned as she stood, moved to him. His gaze traveled along her. Back to her face as she watched him, alternately worried and intrigued. "Moira, I don't like the idea of you working down here, with others or not I don't care. It's too isolated, too dependent on your specific gene, well, on John junior's. No, let me finish," he said before she could protest. "I want you to continue this. All the way to wherever it leads. And yes, keep it close, as will I. Just not here."
She stared, not certain whether to be relieved or puzzled. "John? I don't understand." She touched his arm. "John? It's not like I need your permission, colonel."
He met her gaze. "You do in a restricted area, Moira."
She frowned. "John, there is no danger here. I can control the power levels and can–"
"Exactly my point, Moira." He slid his arms around her, drawing her close. "It's too draining. No, don't argue with me. You've been what, sneaking down here in the middle of the night while I've been gone since you can't sleep, haven't you? And constantly activating this at such careful levels must be draining you, not to mention the lack of sleep. Not to mention all this work you are constantly doing instead of looking after yourself and the baby. No, I'm not finished," he continued as she opened her mouth to protest. "I can't have my wife running around Atlantis in the middle of the night, I don't care how many other mutineers she has with her down here, all right? This is a restricted area for a reason. It hasn't been cleared yet, and unless and until it is this area is off-limits to all Atlantis personnel. Including my pregnant wife. Got it?"
"John!" she finally managed as he paused. "You are being overzealously protective again! You–"
"No, I'm not. It's too far from the main grid. Too far from the city. Too far from me. You can access this stuff in your own lab, can't you? Better yet, access it in our room."
"No, John, I can't. That's the point. We have everything here. Off the main grid so it's not conflicting with any other systems. No one is looking at this data, John. It's ours. We are combing through all kinds of things, all disparate elements and we need a hub to do that. But not in the main grid. Not in the city. Not near you. Well, not near Weir. Got it, colonel?"
He smiled, but shook his head. "No, Moira."
"I can't continue this work anywhere else, John. It would take too long to transfer all of the data and upload it to alternate systems. Besides, Rodney is bound to notice the sudden power surges not to mention the data flow. We're down here for a reason, John. You'll just have to accept it. I will look after myself. And now that you are here I won't be sneaking around at night any more. Well, unless I get hungry or something."
"Hilarious, Moira. No. You can't–"
"I can, John. I have to see this through, here. What do you think is going to happen down here? We've got comm access and I can reach you via the earpiece, right?" She ran her fingers up his chest. Her earnest brown gaze boring into his. "John, this is important. You know it is. We can't stop now. Weir's already stopped you from investigating those deserted planets, hasn't she? Yes, word gets around," she answered to his unasked question. "You know she will either stop this or misdirect it. I'm trusting you, John. You need to trust me."
"I do trust you, Moira, of course! I just don't want you down here, all right? Especially not when I am off-world. I don't like it."
She sighed. "Well, tough, colonel. This is more important than what you don't like. I'll be fine. So will John junior. I have to do this for him, don't you see that?"
"Yes, I do see that. But I am concerned about you, sweetheart." He looked round again. Frowning. "I don't like this," he grumpily repeated.
Moira smiled. Turned his face to hers to kiss him. "I know...but you do see the necessity. I know you do."
"Who else?"
"Huh? Oh. Only Katie and Julie. That's all."
"That's it? The three of you? Doesn't seem like enough to–"
"I know, that's why it's taking so long, but since we are lower echelon no one notices us, John. That's the beauty of it. We're under the grid too. Well, I was until I married you. Until I became pregnant. I still am, but not as much. That's why we were working here at such odd hours."
"I see. Power it down, Moira."
She moved free of him, did so. The room was cast into darkness. Quietness. She turned as he stepped to her, taking her arm. "John? Please. You can't halt the progress we've–"
"All right, all right. Let me think about it. Okay? I don't have a problem since I'm here now, and you can meet at a more conventional time. For now." He led her out of the lab. "I guess that just leaves the sex."