Chapter 5

Sheppard sat thinking. There wasn't much else he could do now. Oh, they had been given duties, but they were sick, twisted versions of what they had done before. He didn't think he could cope with seeing another "selection".

He should have been able to have done more. They shouldn't have ended up like this. He remembered a conversation he had had with Keller a few days ago.

"You couldn't have changed anything, John."

"I could have found a way. I could have stopped them before they even reached the city."

"With what? There was barely enough power to sustain critical systems."

Keller had been right. They wasn't anything they could have done, but that knowledge didn't comfort him when he remembered what happened.

***

"The cccity is sssecured." hissed one of the creatures.

"Havve the inhabiantsss brought to the Gate rrroom," another replied, "thenn we ssshalll begin the… ssselection."

John didn't' like the sound of this "selection" thing. He struggled in the grip of the metal suit that held him. He looked over at the others. Lorne and his team were surrounded by the metal suit monsters, while others were being shepparded into the area below the control room. The creatures were all female, and while at any other time this may have been a pleasurable prospect, it no longer held any attraction. They were tall and willowy, with clawed feet and deadly looking nails. He could see vestal feathers on their reddish skin, especially on their arms where the feathers seemed to create a wing-like appearance. One of the creatures moved towards Todd, flanked by two metal monsters.

"You have given usss grrreat difficulty in locatinggg you." She motioned to the suits following her. They stepped round her and forced the wraith to its knees, "Grrreat difficulty indeed," she crooned as she stroked Todd cheek with one of her talons, drawing a line of dark blood.

"You are…too late," hissed Todd, his silted eyes narrowed in hate at the creature, "That which you search for is no longer in my possession."

The bird-creature hissed and struck Todd, leaving four bloody gashes across his face. "Then you will take usss to itss location before you are dessstroyed like the resssst of your kind."

"Alpha, we arrre rrready to begin."

Sheppard saw that the gate room was filled with everyone from Atlantis, looking scared and uncertain. The creature standing over Todd nodded. Soon the room was filled with screams as the metal monsters began to systematically kill members of the general population.

A sudden shriek tore John's gaze from the grizzly sight below him. Todd had managed to break part of the bonds holding him, enough to allow his left arm freedom. He flicked a knife into his hand and grabbed the Alpha, holding the knife to her neck.

"Stop this carnage and allow these people safe passage, or the Alpha dies." Todd snarled at the hissing bird-people.

"Hasss'parianssss do not ssssubmit to wrrrraith demandssss!" one spat, "Guardianssss!" The metal creatures raised an arm and Sheppard heard a hum, like the charging of a weapon.

Todd hissed in defiance, shoving the Has'parian leader to the ground

Then he raised the knife to his own throat.

"Todd, what hell are you doing?!"

"Be silent, Sheppard." He turned back to the Has'parians, "Stop now, let them leave or you will never find the component you seek."

The Alpha hissed, before nodding to the two Has'parians beside her. They quickly fled down the stairs into the chaos below. The screams soon stopped, to be replaced by the mourning of those that remained. The Alpha turned back to the wraith.

"Why do you carrre ssso much for thessse humansss?"

Todd merely glared and pressed the knife closer to his throat causing small beads of blood to form along the blade. The Alpha tried to smile sweetly but her eyes betrayed her true concern.

"Activate the Sssstargate." She hissed to the nearest creature. She continued to hold a staring match with Todd as the gate was dialled

John watched as people headed towards the gate. The Guardians were directing people, allowing some through the gate and others were forced to one side. Rodney, Ronon, Lorne and his team made it through but Keller, Zelenka, Woolsey and many others were forced to stay behind.

"What are you doing?" John demanded, "Why aren't you letting those people through?"

The Alpha looked at him condescendingly . "We will require… hosstaagess, to ensssure the wraith'sss co-operation. It hass already betrrrayed a loyalty for yourrr people."

Todd looked at the creature with a mixture of hatred and disgust. He lowered the knife from his throat and Sheppard though he was going to surrender. The wraith closed his eyes.

Then he plunged the dagger into his chest.

***

Sheppard leaned his head on his fist, feeling angry at the memory. The Has'parian Alpha had shrieked with fury. She had then ordered the Guardian holding John to escort him to the chair room. Some how, they had brought ZPMs with them and had forced Sheppard to fly the city to another planet. Since then, they had used the remaining expedition members on Atlantis to fly the city from one planet to another and to assist them with their "selections".

John hit the table he was sitting at with frustration, causing the table's other occupant to squeak as her pens fell to the floor.

John looked over at the figure now scrabbling around the floor under the table retrieving her pens. He had named her Chitter, because of the way she tended to utter rapid high-pitched clicks when nervous. Unlike the other Has'parians (or Harpies as he liked to think of them) Chitter was meek, timid and bullied by the others. She was the "bad egg" of the family, so to speak. She had become attached to Sheppard a few days after they had arrived on the first planet the city was forced to land on. Since then, she had become almost inseparable from the Colonel.

Which had made planning their escape attempt that little bit easier.

Nobody suspected the Has'parian adolescent and Atlantis' new leader of working together. More importantly, they never would until the two of them were gone.

For those of you that wished to learn Sheppard's fate, I hope that you are now satisfied for the time being.

For those of you that are die-hard Todd fans, don't hunt me down with pitchforks just yet!