Chapter Two
Hours later the Wraith queen was awakened by the sound of several pairs of boots crunching their way through the forest. The sun had apparently risen as they slept. Struggling to remain silent as she sat up, she realized they were not far off. Nearby, Sheppard's head rested on his chest as he snored slightly in deep sleep. Cursing the man in her head, she moved to kneel in front of him. His eyes flew open in momentary panic. She gripped his arm as he tried to bring his weapon up to shoot her. Staring into his eyes intently, she appeared to contemplate him.
"Do you really believe you can make me human?" she asked softly.
"Yeah," he nodded. "Don't scare me like—"
"They are coming," she whispered intently. "Be strong, Sheppard."
Before he could react, she slammed her feeding hand to his chest once more while using the other to muffle his screams behind her had.
Seconds later screams resounded through the forest as she located each of the three Genii soldiers and fed on them. Feeling better than she had in more years than she could count at the moment, she almost regretted what she had to do next. Turning back to Sheppard, she was surprised to see him still conscious, sitting up against the tree. What was left of him was a mere husk of the man he had been. The scrawny form appeared as if it would shatter in a stiff breeze. And yet he found the strength to summon defiance even now.
"Finish it," he growled with what might very well be his last breath.
"There is much you do not know about Wraith, Sheppard. Besides, we had a deal, remember?" she said in a void laden with sarcasm.
She placed her hand gently on his chest in the same place as before. Instead of agony, Sheppard gasped as a flood of warmth, comfort, and something he could only liken to a drug-induced experience from his university years spread through his body from that single point of contact. For what seemed like an eternity, he just drifted in this feeling of rapture.
The Wraith felt herself growing weaker and weaker as her connection with Sheppard continued. Suddenly the connection was severed as explosions of agony ripped through the left of her abdomen. Screaming, she fell sideways as Sheppard was slammed back to reality violently.
"Stop!" he screamed. "Hold your fire!"
Lurching to his feet, he shook off the rapturous effects of whatever had been done to him as he brought his mind to focus on the images of his team and several additional Marines. Ronon was taking aim on the Wraith queen when the realization of what happened finally sank in.
"Ronon, wait!" he ordered. "Leave her. That's and an order!"
The shock finally beginning to wear off for the others, Doctor Beckett said, "I don't understand. We all saw what it did to you."
"Yeah, well, she just undid it," Sheppard replied, not taking his eyes off the wounded Wraith queen lying on the ground not far from where he had been only moments before.
She was breathing heavily, though her wounds were healing visibly as they watched. But she made no move to leave her current position; obviously, she was expecting a swift and fatal reaction. For a moment he took in the sight of her and the feeling of renewed youth and vigor that he had thought never to feel again. Glancing around briefly, Sheppard realized they were surrounded.
"Lower your weapons!" he barked the order.
"How is this possible?" Teyla asked incredulously.
"Don't ask me," Sheppard replied, motioning for the Wraith to rise.
"The Gift of Life," she began to explain. "It is reserved only for our most devout worshippers…and our brothers."
"Well, I guess there's a lot about the Wraith we don't know," Sheppard replied sarcastically, but not without some wonder.
"You gave me back my life," she said. "I merely repaid the debt."
"What debt?! Are you kidding? I mean, he looks younger than he did before!" Doctor McKay interjected.
"What about Kolya?" Ronon asked, shutting Rodney up for the time being.
Suddenly remembering what had brought them to this in the first place, John turned to locate the radio lying on the ground nearby.
"Kolya, this is Sheppard."
He waited for a moment. When no response came, the threat in his voice was unmistakable. "Kolya! I figured you'd run. Next time I kill you on sight! Do you hear me?!"
Still getting no response, he threw the radio down as if wishing it was Kolya's body being broken to pieces.
"Let's get off this rock," he finally said, having spent his remaining rage.
"What about it?" Ronon asked, more than a little eager to finish what was started a few minutes ago on the Wraith.
The Wraith queen stood tall and proud as she faced him. It was clear in her features what she expected next. When Sheppard took Ronon's gun, she nodded slightly in no way surprised by the outcome of all of this. Hesitation clear in his body language, Sheppard returned his gaze to her yellow alien one.
"We had a deal, right?"
"I did not expect you to honor it, in the first place. Though, it was a nice dream," she replied, refusing to break eye contact.
Sheppard nodded slowly. With a look of regret, he brought the gun up and fired before she had a chance to react. Taking back his gun, Ronon checked the setting.
"You didn't kill it," he said, irritated.
"No, I didn't," he replied distantly as if deep in thought.
After a few more seconds he nodded as if coming to a decision. Turning to the marines nearby, he said, "Get her into the jumper. She's coming with us."
Before anyone had a chance to object, he turned to his friends, "Thanks for finally showing up. Let's go home."
Wondering what he was going to tell Doctor Weir, he boarded the jumper hoping his obvious exhaustion would stave off the worst of their reactions and objections until he could at least formulate a coherent argument; because this was likely to get ugly fast.
~o~o~o~
The conversation with Doctor Weir went about as he had expected. The moment he entered her office, he knew she already knew. And she wasn't about to hold back on her opinion.
"Are you insane?!" she started off. "Or maybe what happened to you has damaged your powers of reasoning. Because I'm having a very difficult time here figuring out exactly what it is that makes you thinking bringing a live Wraith—and a queen, at that—to Atlantis!"
Her green eyes blazing as she waited for an answer did nothing to still his nervousness. Though he hid it well underneath a flippant veneer, she certainly had a way of putting him on edge when she was in a temper.
"Tried, convicted, and sentenced and my butt hasn't even warmed the chair yet," he commented with a lopsided grin to try to break the mood. "Whatever happened, to 'Welcome back, John. Glad to see you home safe, John.'?"
"I'm serious, John. Why have you brought a Wraith to Atlantis? You know what kind of risk it poses."
"She helped me escape."
"I get that, but it still doesn't explain—"
"We had a deal," Sheppard cut her off, seeing his tactics weren't going to work. "She helps me escape and we make her human. She—"
"What?!"
"Hear me out, Elizabeth. Doctor Beckett has been working on the Wraith Retrovirus for a year now. He's up against a wall. Without a live subject, he can't go any further in his research."
"And you think it'll agree to this?" just barely holding back complete incredulity.
Heaving a sigh, Sheppard wondered where to start with the story. Instead, he was saved from answering by the arrival of Doctor Beckett.
"Colonel Sheppard, Doctor Weir," he greeted, eyeing Sheppard closely as if expecting him to suddenly turn back into the elderly man they had all seen just hours ago. "You called?"
"Yeah, Doc, have a seat. This is going to be a long story," Sheppard said, resigning himself to the inevitable.
To his surprise Doctor Weir remained silent through the entire retelling. It was Doctor Beckett that appeared to question Sheppard's sanity now.
"Ye can't be serious!" he blurted. "You saw what happened to Ellia, and yourself! I'm years away from anything usable."
"But you said it yourself, you need a live subject for study and testing," John pointed out.
"Yes, but the female Wraith are more closely related genetically to the iratus than human. It could be years yet before I find a formula that works on males, and years more before I find one for females. And there's no guarantee that it would ever work."
"What if you had a willing subject?" John persisted.
"Do you really think it'll agree to this?" Doctor Weir cut in to ask again before Beckett could answer. "You didn't promise it we would work on it. You promised to make it human."
"And what about feeding?" Beckett tossed in. "If this is going to be in the works for years, it's going to have to feed or die."
Knowing they were both right, he began to doubt his own decision. "Okay, look, if she agrees, and this works, we have an ally with more information on the Wraith than we could have hoped for. On the other hand, if it comes down to it, we can always release her. Right now she's locked up in the prison, and she doesn't know where we are."
"And let it alert the Wraith to our continued existence?" Elizabeth asked incredulously.
"Well, no, but—"
Whatever he was about to say was cut off as their radios came to life. "Colonel Sheppard. This is Sergeant Holmes in the prison."
"This is Colonel Sheppard. Go ahead, Sergeant."
"It's awake."
"Thanks, sergeant. If she says anything, tell her I'm on my way."
"Yes, sir. Right now, it's just sitting there staring."
"Don't say or do anything else unless she turns threatening. The force field will keep her in place. Just call me if she does."
"Yes, sir."
Looking back to the other two, he raised his eyebrows in question. "Well?"
Elizabeth's features took on a pensive expression for a few seconds. "Do you really trust it, John?"
"No. But she's earned the benefit of the doubt, at least."
"Doctor?" she asked, turning to Beckett.
Heaving a sigh, he considered for a moment. "If it's willing, I've got no reason to argue. But I make no promises."
"Fair enough," Sheppard agreed.
"Very well, you may proceed," Doctor Weir said formally. Then she turned her angry expression on John, green eyes blazing. "But if you're wrong, we've just given Atlantis to the Wraith. Remember that."
"You don't need to remind me," Sheppard popped off as he hopped out of his chair. "Come on, Doc. Time for some introductions. And it'll be a lot easier if you explain some of this to her."
"Right behind you," Beckett agreed, still very unhappy.
Both were silent as they made their way across the city and into the bowels of its layout where the prison cells were kept. They nodded to the guards as they entered the room with the single, bare cell in the center. As described earlier, she sat on the floor staring blankly ahead. She glanced up as they entered, but made no move to rise.
"You didn't kill me," she commented in a voice devoid of emotion.
"We had a deal, remember? I'd like you to meet Doctor Beckett. Doctor Beckett meet…what do I call you, anyway? Don't you Wraith have names or something?"
With a wry grin and a slight chuckle, she replied, "You couldn't pronounce it if you tried."
"Fine, we'll call you Alex, then. I dated a psychotic girl in high school named Alex."
"As you wish," she said neutrally from her seated position on the floor.
Despite their elevated position, Sheppard began to feel as if she were looking down on him. And the chill in the air could not have just been his imagination.
"Okay, fine, you're locked up…again. I get it," he finally said. "Not a pleasant position. But things are a little different here. The cell is as much for your protection as ours. And, if you'll notice, you are conscious instead of stunned, and there's no metal sleeve binding your arm. I'm honoring our deal, but it'll be on my terms."
"I did not expect otherwise," she said, still neutrally.
"Good. Well, I've got a few things to explain, and you're probably not going to like this," he said, glancing at Doctor Beckett in a clear signal to take over.
Frowning and not liking the feeling of looking down at the Wraith queen, Beckett squatted before it on the other side of the force field. "Colonel Sheppard promised to make you human with my drug. But what he failed to tell you is that it is not ready." He paused, as if expecting a reaction. When she gave none, he continued, "I've been working on it for over a year. The last…test…didn't end very well. I've continued to work on it, but lacking on test material, I've hit a standstill. As far as I can tell the serum works quite well with male Wraith, but has had an opposite effect on female Wraith. It turns them into something more like an iratus bug than even a Wraith."
"And you wish to use me as a test subject to perfect the serum." It was not a question.
"Yes," Carson replied not breaking eye contact.
She seemed to consider this for a moment before asking, "How long?"
Heaving a sigh, Beckett said, "I'll not lie to you, it may never work. Days, weeks, months. I just don't know."
She nodded slowly, turning her gaze away from both of them. "And this is something you believe could be used as a weapon against Wraith?"
Beckett nodded.
Finally seeming to come to a decision, she rose to her feet and Beckett did the same. "I was wounded by your men. What little I kept for myself mostly went into healing my wounds. I will not last very long without feeding."
The implication was clear. But before she could continue, Beckett interjected, "Have you ever tried feeding on animals?"
Cocking her head curiously, she shook it slowly. "No. Why?"
"It just occurred to me, there could be other options and other tests, if you're willing."
"Elaborate, please," she said, her curiosity obviously piqued.
"Colonel Sheppard said you disliked feeding. That you wanted to survive without taking the lives of sentient beings. Is that true?"
"Yes," she said a bit more vehemently than she intended.
Nodding, Beckett continued. "What if you could survive by feeding on animals instead of humans? Has it ever been tried?"
"If it has, I am not aware of it. But I would be willing when the time comes, yes."
"That's one thing. For the rest, are you willing to provide samples for me to experiment on?"
"Yes, but I have one condition, for Sheppard."
Looking wary, John asked, "And what might that be?"
"I accept being your prisoner, for now. I accept the need to perfect the drug and the tests that will be required. I have no doubt you wish to gain information from me about the Wraith, and I will do all I can to assist. But, if this fails, I will have your word that you will not keep me starved and burning from the inside out as did the Genii. If the time comes, you will end it for me."
"You're talking execution!" Beckett jumped in, not happy with the idea.
Both of them ignored him as Sheppard nodded. "Fine by me."
"Then it is agreed," she said.
"Good," Sheppard added, feeling as if he had just agreed to something far more unpleasant than simply killing another Wraith. "In the meantime, while Beckett is working on the formula, we will do what we can to make you comfortable. And, yes, we'll provide you with what you need to give us information once we've made arrangements. Just let the guards know what you need and we'll see to it, within reason."
"Thank you."
"In that case, I'll go get my stuff. I'll return to gather samples shortly."
To this she simply nodded as he turned to leave the room. As Sheppard turned to follow she called, "Sheppard, may I speak with you alone?"
For a moment he hesitated before giving the guards a nod toward the door. Once the door was closed, he turned back to her feigning impatience. She appeared deep in thought for a moment before bringing her focus back to him.
"You do not run this city." It was not a question.
"No," he replied uncertain where this was going.
"Who then?"
"Doctor Elizabeth Weir."
She nodded slowly as if taking this in. "Female?"
"Yes."
"She has agreed to this?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Please convey my gratitude."
"That's it?" he asked, eyebrows rising to his hairline.
"For now. Is it daytime or nighttime on this planet?"
"Daytime."
"Ah," she said simply turning away to pace the confines of her cell.
Curiosity piqued, Sheppard asked, "What does it matter? Do Wraith sleep?"
"Not in the sense that you would understand it. But no, that is not why. I did not have a chance to see the daytime sky while I was free," she said almost sadly. "I should like to have seen it one last time."
"You sound like you don't believe you'll live."
"I do not. But I will remind you of your promise when the time comes."
Feeling a bit uncomfortable as if he was being goaded into confessing to betrayal, he gave her an irritated glare. "Look, I didn't lie to you. We can make you human. It's just going to take a little while. Doctor Beckett is the best there is. If anyone can make it happen, it's him. And he's got a whole team of scientists to help move this along."
"I understand."
"Fine. Whatever. Anything else?" he asked, still feeling as if she had judged him and found him lacking.
"No."
"Good. Let the guards know what you need and they'll have it brought."
To this she nodded before returning to her pacing.
~o~o~o~
Roughly half an hour later Doctor Beckett returned to find the cell much changed from his last visit. From somewhere in the city they had managed to dig up a folding cot, a table, a chair, and some paper and pens. Despite these things being fit into the small area, they didn't seem to crowd the small space as much as he would have thought. The Wraith queen, Alex, as he tried to come to think of her, was sitting at the table attempting to wield the pens as if testing for the most comfortable. She looked up as he entered the room almost as if she was glad for the diversion.
As Sergeant Holmes dropped the shield and Alex rose to her feet, it suddenly dawned on Beckett that he was about to be within arm's reach of a live Wraith queen. And likely a hungry one, as well. No matter how calm or reasonable it may have seemed on the outside, he knew he was standing in the presence of death. Kit in hand, facing the open door to the cell, he found himself hesitating and wondering about all the decisions in his life that had led him to this point.
"Please, enter, Doctor Beckett," she said, standing by her chair.
His heart racing, he could feel the plastic handle of his kit slipping in his now sweaty palm. Hesitantly, he forced one foot in front of the other. She remained utterly motionless as he finally stood right before her, looking directly into those piercingly yellow alien eyes. Knowing she had his undivided attention, she leaned forward.
"Boo," she whispered, feeling the tension in the air as the guards watched her closely, guns at the ready.
Blinking in confusion, Beckett took a second to process this as he realized what she was trying to do. This time his face flushed in embarrassment realizing his terror must have been plain on his face. "I-I'm sorry. I mean…I just…"
Alex laughed quite heartily for a moment as she stepped backward around the chair to give him more room and put a solid object between them.
"Come, Doctor, we cannot continue like this. Here, sit. I will seat myself on the cot," she offered, making good on her word as she sat down unthreateningly. Seeing him still standing there, she waved at the chair. "Please?"
Finally Beckett came to his senses as she sat a couple of feet away from him and out of arm's reach.
"Now, what can I do to put you at ease?" she offered. "The Genii kept my feeding hand and arm wrapped in a sleeve of iron with a lock. Though I would much prefer that not be necessary, I will accept it if it makes you more comfortable."
Mentally kicking himself, Beckett shook off his previous fear. "No…Alex," he said tripping on the name. "Are you okay with that name?"
To this she gave a lopsided grin filled with razor pointed teeth, "Psychotic, he said?"
Beckett nodded.
"It's as good a name as any, I suppose. But you do not need to use it. You may give me another, if you prefer."
"No, no, it's fine." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Colonel Sheppard described what was done to you. You'll not get the same treatment from us, I assure you. I'm sorry if I am…tense. It's not every day one finds themselves face to face with a Wraith and not in a desperate struggle for survival."
"I quite understand."
"Do you now?" Beckett shot off before he could stop himself.
Her raised eyebrow was the only response he gave as he mentally kicked himself.
"I apologize, that was uncalled for."
"Accepted. Now, what can I do to put you at ease?"
Beckett considered for a moment. "The truth is, I don't think there is anything. You must know we don't trust you anymore than you likely trust us."
"True."
"And I've explained that this might never work."
"Yes."
"You, yourself even said you did not expect Colonel Sheppard to keep his word."
"Correct."
"Then why did you help him escape? And what exactly did you do to restore him?"
As if understanding at last where this was going, Alex nodded and leaned back as if to encourage him to release his own tension.
"You are aware that young Wraith eat what you consider normal food, correct?"
"Yes."
"Wraith society is unlike anything you humans could understand. On the outside we are a brutal, murderous race; and I don't entirely disagree. But when we are young we are cherished; females destined to become queens, especially. We are given free reign until we begin what you call puberty. It is then that we begin to show what we will become. The transition from food to feeding on the sentient is but one part. The greater part is the instinct of what is considered to be the typical Wraith. We females grow in dominance over the males among other things."
Turning her gaze to see if he was following, she continued, "I never did."
She let this sink in before following with, "I had no desire to hurt people, to watch the death glazing their eyes as their bodies turned to dust in my grip. I had no desire to dominate the males, the warriors, or other queens. I had no desire to join the ranks of my kind in their complex society and all its expectations. I would sneak away frequently to watch the humans in their villages. The more I saw of them, the more I wanted to be among them. I wanted to live among them in their simple lives uncomplicated by expectations of a society to which I felt alien.
"But it didn't last long. As I reached sexual maturity, I was given my own hive and expected to do my part in the war against those who once inhabited this city."
Beckett's blue eyes widened in shock at the realization of what she was saying hit him. "You were here ten thousand years ago?"
"Yes."
"I knew Wraith could live a long time, but I did not expect that long."
"Obviously we hibernated from time to time. But, yes, so long as we are able to feed, we are as close to immortal as you can conceive."
He nodded and motioned for her to continue.
"During the war I did what I could to stay clear of the fighting, but there wasn't much I could do. Eventually there were periods of hibernation. I ensured our hive slept the longest. I had no desire to feed, or to allow my people to feed. Then, what I believe to be several hundred years ago, now, possibly longer…I came to a planet that was to be culled by my hive and the rest of my fleet of hives. The other queens had long suspected me of being too weak to keep control of my hive. Even I wondered how I had managed for so long. But I sensed them closing in. They had already chosen another, younger queen to assassinate me. It was just a matter of time. Thinking to escape them, first, I fled to the nearby planet in a single-manned fighter."
"A dart?"
"Is that what you call them?" She waited for Doctor Beckett's nod. "A dart, then, yes."
For a moment she hesitated, as if casting back through her memories. "There I found a village. I knew I had no hope of disguising myself, and it was only a matter of time before I would have to feed. But, for a while, I was free of the cares and threats of the hive and Wraith society. From a nearby forest, I watched a family. There were children that reminded me of what it was like to play. A father who smiled often and laughed heartily. A woman who would sometimes shriek her displeasure at the mice that would invade her home before running off to join her husband and children at play. They were happy. They were alive."
Here she sighed, turning away from him slightly. "Then my hive came. The new queen was all that a queen should be. I ran to the family, trying to warn them, to protect them; but they thought me a threat and ran from me. They managed to make it to the safety of a nearby cave, but it was no use. When the darts couldn't just snatch them up, the warrior drones on the ground took little time in locating them.
"I tried to stop them. Weaponless, I attempted to wrest control of their minds from her, but she was too strong. There were too many of them for me to fight. The man stood just inside the entrance to the cave, wielding his ax as a weapon. He would not back down. He fought to the very last in the hopes of giving his wife and children time to escape. The defiance and hope in his eyes…"
Shaking herself, Alex returned to the present and met Carson's blue eyes with her own intense yellow ones. "I returned to the…dart, and to the hive. I snuck up on the queen and slit her throat. At last I had become what they wished. I killed. I killed my own kind, especially. I regained control of the hive and recalled all of the darts. Once everyone was on board, I murdered my Hivemaster. I forced the rest to obey me. Then I took the hive to the nearest allied hive and attacked. The surprise was so utter they never even had a chance to fire back. Though shocked, those on my own hive thought I was just exerting my dominance at last. They continued to obey me as I attacked three more hives. But, by then, the word had spread. I was not exerting my dominance and making a name for myself. I had betrayed them.
"On my fourth attack, the ship was so heavily damaged, there was no way to regain control. Though I destroyed that last hive, we were caught in the gravitational pull of the planet and would soon impact the planet. I did what I could to aim for a land far from the gate and people. I had not expected to survive."
With a wry grin she continued, "Obviously that was not the case. I fed on the few remaining survivors of my hive, and then began walking in the direction I thought was toward the gate. But, long before I could reach it, the Genii caught me. From then, until now, I have never forgotten that man and his courage. All these centuries, I have never met or seen one with such strength…until Sheppard."
So caught up in the story was Doctor Beckett, that he only just now remembered what had led to this moment. He had been listening so intently, that he had forgotten his nerves and the fact that he was essentially sitting a couple of feet away from a Wraith queen—from death incarnate.
"Strength, courage, and unbreakable faith that his friends would rescue him. They intrigued me. And, I suppose you could say, inspired me. No, I did not believe I would leave that planet alive, but I was going to make sure he did."
Beckett nodded in understanding.
"Feel better?" she asked, with a half grin.
Still somewhat surprised by this, but knowing she was right, Beckett was surprised to find himself smiling back at her. "Aye."
"Good," she nodded decisively. "Where do you wish to begin?"
"First I will need some samples of hair, skin, and possibly some deeper tissue, if that is alright?"
"Whatever you need, Doctor."
With little more to be said, he set to getting the samples and packing them away in his kit. She sat patiently as he examined her thoroughly and grumped about not having the proper equipment for a more detailed exam and recording. She said she would be more than willing, should the opportunity arise. He thanked her. The entire exchange felt amazingly normal to him after her story. As he rose to leave, though, she stopped him one last time.
"Doctor Beckett, I see that you are wearing a timekeeping device on your arm. Is that correct?"
"This watch?" he asked, somewhat perplexed.
"A watch, you call it?"
"Aye. What of it?"
"When will it be nighttime on this planet?"
"Another five or six hours. Why?"
For a moment she appeared as if she didn't want to continue before asking, "Do the stars shine at night? Are there many moons?"
His eyebrows shooting up into his hairline at these questions, he nodded. "Yes, like jewels in the sky. The moons reflect blue here."
"You seem surprised."
"Aye, on my planet there is one moon, and it is white and plain."
"Ah. Thank you, Doctor."
Still somewhat perplexed by this odd conversation, he left the prison and turned his attention to the nearly impossible task he knew lay ahead.
~o~o~o~
Over the course of the next several days, Alex spent her hours alone and in near silence. Occasionally her two guards would hold soft conversations, but appeared reluctant to speak in her presence. For her part, she passed the time writing out all she knew of the Wraith. What she had not told Beckett or Sheppard was that the hunger had already started that same day. Having to heal her most recent wounds combined with returning full life to Sheppard, she had not had nearly enough. Having hundreds of years of experience, she knew she could last several weeks, if not a couple of months, before the hunger and burning would drive her to delirium. But it certainly made attempting to focus on this crude form of written communication very difficult and frustrating.
Though she had no way of keeping time, she judged approximately half a day passed between the changing of her guards. Alternating between attempting to write and often just seeming to stare off into the shadows at nothing, the guards soon grew bored watching her; as she grew bored watching them. After what she judged to be three days, she gave up trying to focus on her writing and hoped to turn her attention to learning more about these humans. It soon became evident that not only were these guards reluctant to speak in front of her, but they had likely been given orders not to speak with her, either. Giving up in frustration, she asked the guards on duty that if they could not speak with her, could they perhaps find something she could study to learn more about them. At this, one guard glanced at the other before speaking, finally.
"Let's get one thing clear. It's not that we aren't permitted to speak with you. We don't want to speak to a Wraith. Understand?" he said threateningly. "As for your request, we are required to bring you whatever you need 'within reason'. And I don't believe books were in the list of what you need. You might claim to want to be human, but you'll never be one. So just shut up and go back to whatever it is Doctor Weir wanted you to write."
"As you wish," she replied, disappointed, but not entirely surprised by his hostility. "I wish to discuss the matter with Colonel Sheppard."
"Too bad, he's off-world."
"Then please convey my request at your convenience," she stated, flatly.
"Yeah, right," whispered the guard.
Heaving a sigh, Alex moved to the cot and lay idly, much as she once had while a captive of the Genii. Luckily, it was only two more changing of the guards before Doctor Beckett returned in need of more samples. But, he carried something in his other hand that he set before her on the table.
"It's a clock," he explained. "It was modified by one of the scientists to reflect the number of hours for a day on this planet. On my home planet our days are twenty-four hours long. Here they are twenty-six. Now you can keep track of the time and the day and night cycles for yourself."
Seeing in his expression that Doctor Beckett meant the gift in the genuine spirit in which it was offered, she bit back the sharp reply of the thoughtless cruelty this device could have represented. "Thank you, Doctor," she replied with a smile. "How goes the research?"
"Not well, I'm afraid," he admitted with a sigh. "I've used up the samples you have given me and I am in need of more already. I supposed that's progress, but the results are not promising."
"That is to be expected, I'm sure," she replied. Glancing briefly to her guards, happy to note they were not the ones she had spoken with recently, she asked, "How is Colonel Sheppard?"
"Colonel Sheppard? He and his team recently returned from an off-world mission to a trading planet. But nothing remarkable. Why?"
"Idle curiosity. I had wished to speak with him at his convenience."
Out of the corner of her eye, she was pleased to see the guards glance at each other nervously. Obviously they were of like mind to those she had spoken with and did not like the idea of her speaking with Sheppard.
"Certainly," Beckett replied turning on his radio. "Doctor Beckett for Colonel Sheppard."
"Sheppard here. What's up?"
"I'm down here with, with A-Alex," he started, still stumbling over the name. "I was getting some more samples. She mentioned she would like to speak with you."
"Me? What does she want?"
Glancing back to Alex, Beckett checked a sigh realizing this wasn't going to be as simple as he would have liked. "Well, I'm not quite sure. Would you like to ask her yourself?"
"You know what? Never mind. Tell her I'll be down later. The great Doctor McKay has issued his demands, and—"
"Hey! I simply said—" Rodney started from somewhere nearby.
Smiling in amusement, Beckett cut in before his friend could really get started hoping the Colonel would hear him. "Great! I'll let her know. Beckett out."
Turning back to the Wraith, he grinned. "He'll be coming to see you shortly. Now, about those samples…"
As expected, Alex submitted herself to his examination and gave him all he needed. She answered a few questions he had, and then bid him goodbye. The moment the door closed behind him, she found herself locked in a dark, threatening glare by her guards. Feeling no need to provoke them, but now knowing the extent to which she could trust them, she began to consider how she could ensure regular contact with Sheppard and/or Beckett, just in case.
Almost as soon as Beckett left, Sheppard arrived with a handful of papers in his hand. He lowered the force field and handed them over with no explanation. To her delight, they were full page pictures of the sky. Some were of nights filled with stars and others were of daytime skies of blue and green with a variety of cloud formations and sun angles.
"Thank you for these," she said sincerely.
"No problem," Sheppard waved it off. "You seemed interested and pictures are easy to come by on our expeditions. Beckett said you wanted me?"
"Yes. I was wondering if you had any resource materials on you humans. Society, history, physiology, anything really."
"That bored already?"
"Not as such, but I have little else to pass the time. Study would be helpful."
"What about the writing?" he asked, nodding toward the small stack of papers on the desk.
"Ah, that," she said, stepping over toward them. "This rather crude form of written communication is exceedingly slow. And, from what I surmise, any sort of access to technology my pose a threat."
"Yeah, about that. Doctor McKay says most of what you've given him so far is useless. He says it's the kind of stuff he already knows or doesn't need."
For a moment Alex just considered this and nodded. "What kind of doctor is he?"
"Astrophysicist."
"Yes, he would find most of it useless. Thus far I've tailored most of the information toward Doctor Beckett's research. Physiology, our oral traditions regarding our evolvement and origins, and other such information. Though, as I mentioned, it is exceedingly slow."
"That's what he said. I'll just tell him it got to the wrong doctor, then."
"Please remind Doctor McKay that I was not a scientist, engineer, or other specialist. I was a queen, I had a Master of Sciences Physical and a Master of Sciences Biological and warriors to do the work for me. What little I am able to provide may not be of any interest to him at all. And, at the rate I'm going, it might be months before I have any amount of information available."
"I'm seeing if we can work out a Wraith-modified computer for you to use that is not connected to the network so there's no threat. But at the rate McKay is going, we'll die of old age, first."
"I see. Is he having complications with the adaptations, or is it more of a dislike of the idea of me having technology of a useful nature?" she asked with a wry half-grin to show she was not being serious.
"Both, but that's another story. Anything else?"
"No, thank you for taking the time."
"Right, I'll try to swing by more often. But I make no promises."
"Not necessary, Colonel Sheppard. I am kept in good company here."
Cocking an eyebrow as if wondering if she were being sarcastic as he glanced to her guards, he let it go and exited. Alex could only hope he made good on his word to check in every once in a while. And, she hoped, he would be able to provide her with some materials to study. Perhaps it would distract her from the hunger and the first feeling of burning beginning to creep into her veins day by day.