Chapter 4

Obviously the two Becketts thought they were leaning against each other, but somehow Radek Zelenka had insinuated himself between them. So now he was held upright by the combined power of the two Becketts, happily singing along. Unfortunately he was not singing the same song as Carson and Duncan, but rather some kind of Czech song. Nobody knew what the man was singing, but he seemed to be enjoying it. It was doubtful, though, if he was even aware he and the Becketts were singing two different songs.

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Years ago Radek Zelenka had made peace with the fact that he would never be a great catch – though he wasn't, he appeared small. He was also smart and geeky. And not very attractive. So he had spent all his energy on studying. He was good at learning and his knowledge of Ancient technology was only surpassed by Rodney McKay – a fact Rodney mentioned at least twice a week. Yet Zelenka did not mind. Had he been the best, he would have had McKay's job, and that was just too stressful for him. As second best he got to stay home (on Atlantis) and do the nice work with no stress about saving the day on a daily base. Nor did McKay worry him anymore. In fact, for a while there Radek had thought his life was as neat and wonderful as it was going to get.

Then he met Major Anne Teldy.

About six months ago Anne Teldy and her all-female team met with a little accident, and their scientist, Doctor Alison Porter, had broken her wrist. When Woolsey had sent out the team on another mission, though, Teldy had requested Radek to join the team, claiming that next to Porter, he was the best.

The best at what, he had wanted to ask. He knew he was not too good with off-world missions. He really did prefer staying on Atlantis.

Woolsey had thought it was a good idea. Woolsey had thought getting out would be beneficial to Radek. Woolsey had thought it might broaden his horizons.

Woolsey can be very strange, sometimes.

Sitnalta, who he had turned to, to help defend his case, had agreed with Woolsey.

Sitnalta can be very strange as well.

So Radek had reluctantly joined Major Teldy and her female team. Radek had known from the start it was going to be disastrous. And it had been. The moment they had stepped through the gate, they had been ambushed by the Wraith. His feet still tingled at the thought of being shot by a Wraith stunner.

Not much later the four of them had woken up in a Wraith holding cell. Why they had thought to put them there instead of in feeding pods were soon apparent: like most other Wraith they hoped to torture anybody they thought were from Atlantis in the hopes the captives will divulge the location of the city.

Unfortunately for the Wraith, they had thought one of the women in the team would be the weakest link, leaving Radek behind in the cell. Radek might be seemingly small and timid, but he was not stupid. Nor was he unprepared. These days Rodney and the rest of the scientists might go off-world bearing arms, but Radek was not one of those gun-ho types. What he was, was smart. Perhaps not as intelligent as McKay, but smarter. He knew how to plan ahead. And he had taken some advice from Ronon and hidden a few pieces of needed equipment where the Wraith was not likely to find and remove it.

The moment the Wraith left with Sergeant Dusty Mehra between them, he set to work, removing equipment from his person. Five minutes later he had assembled a rudimentary computer. He looked at Teldy.

"If I promise to get us out of this cell, you promise not to bring me along on another mission?" he demanded.

She smiled at him, but it wasn't a nice smile. "Sure," she replied. Then he set to work on the computer. With the scalpel he had brought along he cut into the cell wall, exposing the living energy conduits underneath. Careful not to damage them, he attached two sets of wires. Then he started typing.

"Why do you do that?" Anne Teldy suddenly asked.

"Well," he said, typing as he explained, "if I can interrupt the correct pathway in the conduits, I will be able to short out the locking..."

"No," she interrupted. "I mean, why do you mutter under your breath like that?"

This finally caught his attention. "I don't mutter," he said, looking at the grinning woman. He suddenly realised she was very beautiful. The kind of beautiful that always left him tongue-tied and awkward.

The kind of beautiful that he could never hope to be close to. Especially not when the beautiful woman was also a strong, young marine with a butt-kick attitude and a big gun she knew how to use.

"Yes, you do. And in Czech, for that matter."

"Oh," he said, unable to think of anything else. So he set to work once more and ten minutes later the webbed door slid open. Instantly Teldy and Vega ran into the corridor, leaving Radek all alone in the cell. He knew he was going to have to leave the computer behind, but he hated having to do so. Yet he had no choice.

He followed the women, hoping they would not meet up with any Wraith. Fortunately Teldy had thought to hide a life signs reader and now used that to navigate the corridors.

From there on the escape was both easy and frightening. Teldy and Vega actually overwhelmed a Wraith guard, took his weapon and rescued Mehra from where the big-shot Wraith was trying to intimidate her. Mehra turned out to be a very angry person and she had no qualms about kicking a Wraith when he was down – literally.

"That is not normal," he exclaimed as she assaulted the Wraith, referring to her anger, not the beating she was giving the alien.

Taking their cue from Sheppard, the women continued to steal a Wraith dart and while Radek, Vega and Mehra were suspended inside the hold, Teldy made their escape with it.

Zelenka had thought that would be the end of it. Woolsey had agreed he would not be accompanying the team again soon in the future. So Radek had gone back to his lab and everything familiar, never once considering seeing Teldy again anytime soon.

So it came as quite a shock when he went back to his room that night to find Teldy waiting for him – a Teldy he had never thought he would encounter.

She had broken into his room and lighted dozens of candles. She, herself, had dressed in a very pretty – and very tiny – dress and was waiting for him at the window where the setting sun could bathe her in a deep golden glow. It turned out that she had decided she liked Radek. He was smart and very determined, and she thought he was very cute.

He never had a chance. There are people in this world strong enough to resist a temptation like that, but Radek Zelenka was not one of them.

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The peculiar part was that Anne had really learned to love the scientist. What had started out as a bit of fun had turned into a full-fledged affair that was still going strong. The song Zelenka was singing was an old folk-song – like those found one way or another in most cultures – about the pretty woman he had the pleasure to call his.

Radek Zelenka had never been happier in all his life.