The Other Side of the Story: John's Point of View
Interlude 12: Death isn't what it used to be!
We took him back to Atlantis, the Carson who'd apparently returned from the dead. Doctor Keller and the others descended on him in hazmat suits and began to run their tests, leaving us to fill Colonel Carter in on the mission. It gnawed at me to admit how close we'd come to Sabina and Teyla, how we could have rescued them if we'd just gotten there a few hours later than we did. Especially since we were back to square one ... with no new leads to pursue.
"How is this possible?" I asked Rodney as we stood with Ronon an hour later, watching Carson in the isolation room below.
"Do you want me to make you a list of all the ways he could be here?" Rodney asked sarcastically. "It's surprisingly long – death isn't what it used to be!"
"It's weird," Ronon grumbled his succinct complaint.
Down in the Isolation Room Jennifer was conducting test after test on Carson, who was cooperating in an understanding Carson Beckett like manner. Ronon was right – it was weird.
"You sure he's not a Replicator?" I checked with Rodney again.
"No, the scans would have picked it up right away," Rodney insisted.
"Well he can't be the Carson we knew so who the hell is he?" I demanded irritably.
"I don't know!" Rodney protested the view that he'd always have the answer on hand. "Look, I'm as freaked out about this as you are!"
"You don't really think it's him, do you?" I asked incredulously.
"No!" Rodney shot back immediately before hesitating and admitting he had considered the possibility. "Well, I mean ... maybe. Look, so we've ruled out advanced robotics but like I said that still leaves us a half a dozen possible other explanations."
"Like?" Ronon questioned.
"Well, like alternate timeline, parallel universe, cloning – you know, take your pick," Rodney gave us the main highlights from that list he'd mentioned.
Jennifer entered the observation room quietly, removing her Hazmat helmet before updating us on what she'd found. "Well, we've completed the preliminary exam."
"And?" Rodney looked at her impatiently.
"Every test we've run confirms it," Jennifer said simply. "That man down there is Doctor Carson Beckett."
"Who's gonna tell him," I looked from Jennifer to Rodney pointedly.
"What?" Rodney swallowed convulsively as he immediately got my drift. "Oh no, no, no. I'm not telling him we weren't looking for him because the real Carson Beckett is dead!"
"You were his best friend Rodney," I put the emotional pressure on without remorse, mind focussed solely on using what could be our only chance to help find Sabina and Teyla. "He'll take it better coming from you," I insisted. "We need information and he was Michael's captive for who knows how long. I need to know everything he can tell us and I need to know it right now. We don't have time for you to ease your way into this."
"Great," Rodney muttered grimly. "Don't break it to him gently. Anything else?"
"Just ... don't be too harsh but you know, get it done," I ordered briskly.
"Fine," Rodney squared his shoulders like he was about to face the lion's den or go into battle. I watched him enter the Isolation Room and begin talking before I left them to their relative privacy.
oOo
The next couple of days were just frustration stacked upon frustration as we searched for news of Sabina and Teyla, including getting back to Todd to see if he knew anything else that could help us.
Another trip to his ship proved useless when he insisted he'd given us everything he had.
"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Rodney asked as we made our way back to the Stargate empty-handed.
"Lying bastard knew more," I returned angrily. "He's just gonna wait until he thinks he can exchange it for something from us."
"I could go back, lean on him a bit," Ronon offered hopefully.
"We'll keep that one in reserve buddy," I slapped his shoulder in appreciation. "Let's get back to Atlantis. I need to talk to Colonel Carter about using whatever Carson can give us."
oOo
"You spoke to your Wraith contact?" Sam asked when I reported to her office as soon as I got back.
"He claims he's given us everything he knows about Michael, but I assume he's lying," I reported. "Until we can come up with something that he can use, he's not much good to us."
"So we need to find our intel somewhere else," Sam concluded.
"Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," I didn't have to say more, she got where I was heading.
"You mean Beckett," she said simply.
"He has been inside Michael's operation and he may know something," I pointed out.
"Or he could have been planted there for us to find," Sam countered. "Look, for all we know, this whole thing could be a set-up."
"Well, sure. Anything's possible," I said impatiently.
"John, the Carson Beckett you knew was killed," Sam said gently. "You were there – you all were. I'm sorry to say it, but you need to remember that."
"I know that," I returned forcefully, getting up and pacing away from her desk. "I'm not looking at him as my friend returned from the dead! I'm looking at him as a valuable source of information on the whereabouts of my wife and my team mate! Set-up or not he knows something and he's enough Carson to want to help."
"I understand your impatience," Sam responded in that same gentle tone.
"Do you?" I demanded harshly, letting just a little of the intense emotion I'd been feeling the past few days break out. "You know how desperate I am to find anything ... just one thing we can use to take the next step? Because from where I'm standing right now we have nothing ... and that's not a position I can accept graciously." Turning away I concentrated on getting myself under control, reigning everything back into its box with difficulty.
"John," Sam got up and put a hand on my shoulder companionably. I didn't miss the way she frowned when she realised how tense I was – obviously I'd been doing a bang up job convincing everyone I was more relaxed than I actually was. "John," she said again. "We'll find her, find them both. But you have to be patient. I'm not saying we won't use what Carson can tell us, just that we have to be cautious and not take anything at face value."
"Of course," I nodded once, seeing the wisdom in that. Seeing that for now there was nothing more I could add I turned to leave. Pausing at the door I didn't look at her, just offered up the one thing that had been gnawing at me constantly. "We've all assumed that Michael won't hurt Teyla because he wants her for something, enough to go to so much trouble to lure her in. What no-one's saying, what's been eating away at me every damn second since this started is that the same isn't true for Sabina. She's a stowaway and there's nothing in it for him to keep her alive. You don't know Michael, you don't know what he's capable of. Unless Sabina gives him something she's as good as dead ... the longer this goes on the more likely it is she'll be forced to go down that road, and we both know what that means."
Not waiting for Sam to respond I strode quickly away, down the steps and across the Gateroom floor. The gym wasn't my usual haunt but punching something always seemed to help Sabina so I was willing to give it a try.
The other occupants quickly left me to my solitude as I went at the punching bag with single minded purpose, imagining Michael that close to Sabina and then trying to wipe the image away as forcefully as I could.
"You gonna do that all night?" Ronon stood in the doorway, arms folded over his chest.
"Unless you want to volunteer your services, yeah," I returned, not even breaking stride.
"You know Sabina does this all the time, right?" Ronon took a step inside, letting the door close behind him.
"I might have heard something like that," I stopped suddenly and turned to face Ronon. "If you've got something to say just say it – I can take it."
"I got nothing," Ronon shrugged. "Just wanted to remind you that your wife is uncommonly resourceful ... she's got skills I don't even understand and she's on a Wraith ship where she could use some of them."
"I know that," I turned away and grabbed my towel, rubbing it over my face tiredly.
"Do you?" Ronon returned. "Because you don't seem to be taking it into account. Sabina's not some helpless captive – you taught her well and you're gonna have to trust that she'll work something out."
"Oh I'm taking it into account," I let him see my frustration ... and my fear. "I've gone way beyond that. You know she won't leave Teyla even if she gets an opportunity – right now she'll be working out how to save her ... and taking stupid risks because she'll rate Teyla and the baby as being more important than she is."
"You're right," Ronon agreed, his expression letting me know he understood. "And Teyla's not in any condition to help much."
"Hence my impatience and general crabbiness," I glanced over at Ronon gratefully. "I appreciate what you said though, and the faith in Sabina."
"She earned it," Ronon said simply. "Listen, Rodney said he had something. He wanted me to find you – since he couldn't raise you on the radio."
"I turned it off," I admitted, grabbing it from the bench where I'd thrown it and hooking it back over my ear. "Rodney, you got something?"
"Finally!" Rodney exclaimed irritably. "Jennifer worked it out – about Carson – he's a clone."
"That was on your list," I reminded him, not sure how I should feel about it.
"He's still Carson," Rodney insisted. "He's got all the memories, all the experiences of the real Carson Beckett ... and he knows things about Michael we could use. I think we should talk to Sam."
"Agreed – I'll meet you at her office," I signed off, grabbed my gear and after a quick nod to Ronon, rushed out the door.
oOo
"Carson's got information we can use," Rodney began. "I think we should listen to him."
"We're talking about someone who was – for all intents and purposes – manufactured by one of the most dangerous individuals we've ever come across," Sam pointed out. "Fundamentally, he's not that different from those hybrids, and I doubt very much we'd be arguing about whether we can trust them."
"Yeah, but there's no denying the fact that he's no ordinary clone," Rodney argued. "I mean, somehow Michael has managed to reproduce his memories, his thought processes and his personality. I spent some time with him, and I'm telling you, he-he's Carson!"
"It doesn't necessary mean it's safe to act on any information he might give us," Sam insisted. "Look, he may genuinely believe that he's helping us and still be playing right into Michael's hands."
"She's got a point, Rodney," I had to concede. "What exactly is he offering?"
"He knows the layout of at least four facilities that Michael has on different planets," Rodney revealed. "Apparently he likes to move around a lot, stay one step ahead of the Wraith."
"What about Gate addresses?" I persisted.
"Well, they blindfolded him every time they moved him, so he couldn't see the DHD, although he did catch a glimpse of an address dialled by one of Michael's mercenaries," Rodney looked at me hopefully. "It could be a place to start."
"Okay," Sam decided after thinking about it. "Take a team of marines and go check it out, see if the information is good. Take Carson with you."
"I'll go get him," Rodney offered, leaving me to get everyone else moving.
Shortly after we'd geared up and were headed through the Gate. I'd had to suffer an awkward conversation in the locker room with Carson first, covering Ronon's less than welcoming demeanour and how we'd already endured an apparent 'return from the dead' experience with Elizabeth that hadn't ended well.
It was early evening when we arrived on yet another off world planet. Carson believed the man we were looking for was most likely to be at the village tavern so that was our first stop. Conversations died the instant we entered the room and I swear the temperature dropped several degrees our welcome was so chilly.
"Hmm, just in time for happy hour!" I quipped looking around casually. Conversation picked up again and I focussed my attention on the barkeeper. "I was hoping maybe you could help us. We're looking for a friend of ours who's been known to stop in now and then."
"You've come to the wrong place," the barkeeper tried to dismiss us abruptly.
"We haven't even told you what he looks like," Rodney protested.
"You misunderstand me," the barkeeper explained flatly. "No-one here cares what he looks like. You've come to the wrong place if you're looking for information."
Deciding some bribery might be in order I leaned in and lowered my tone. "Look, I know you're trying to keep up appearances here for your friends, but I think we can make it worth your while."
All I got for my efforts was a very unpleasant smile as the guy flipped me off in the verbal sense. "I think it would be best if you turn around and be on your way."
"Gun!" Ronon yelled suddenly, diving for the bar. Ducking down I heard the distinctive sound of an automatic firing rounds from the upper balcony.
Whoever was up there was shooting at us with our own weaponry!
The barkeeper paid for his intractable nature, the first hail of bullets ripping into his chest and taking him down, Ronon and I both rolling over the top of the bar beside his dead body, using the bar for cover.
"That's P-90 fire!" I called out to the others, just in case they'd missed it.
Now I had cover I fired up at the balcony, frustrated because the guy had position to keep us pinned down. Until his clip ran out. Then it was all over, Ronon standing up with a roar and taking the guy down with a single shot from his blaster. Hit him dead centre in the chest ... in slow motion he teetered on the edge of balance before toppling over the balcony and crashing to the floor below.
Carson was there in an instant, just like the original one would have been, checking him over professionally.
"Is he dead?" Rodney asked weakly.
"No, but we need to get him back to Atlantis as soon as possible." Carson replied briskly.
"Get our guys back from the Gate," I instructed Ronon. "We'll stretcher him out of here."
oOo
Jennifer's team responded promptly when we returned, injured assailant in tow. The surprising thing was when she recognised him as Nabel, the guy she's already saved once before on New Athos when Teyla's people had first gone missing.
It was touch and go but they managed to stabilise him, enough that Jennifer was confident he'd survive.
Rodney, Ronon and I met up with Sam in her office to debrief ... she was less than impressed at how quickly the mission had turned sour and couldn't help but point out the obvious.
"It was Doctor Beckett's idea to go there," she reminded us.
"Well, if we hadn't have gone, we wouldn't have captured one of Michael's operatives," I pointed out, making it clear I thought the risks had been well worth it.
"You also wouldn't have been nearly killed in an ambush," Sam retorted incredulous that I'd smooth it over so casually.
"It wasn't that bad," Ronon said simply. Sam looked at him pointedly and he added "It was one guy."
"Firing at you with one of our own weapons!" Sam said impatiently.
"He was Michael's spy in the Athosian village!" Rodney exclaimed. "Look, he got the P-90 from the weapons cache we left there."
"It doesn't change the fact that you were led into an ambush, intentionally or not," Sam insisted. She might have said more but we were spared having to defend Carson's involvement when Jennifer contacted us over the tannoy.
"Colonel Carter, this is Doctor Keller. You'd better come down to the Infirmary. There's a problem with Doctor Beckett."
"Oh, what now," Rodney muttered, casting a worried glance my way as he jumped up and followed Sam out of the office.
When we got there it was pretty clear the situation was serious. Carson was lying in a bed with an oxygen mask over his unconscious face.
"He was assisting me with the surgery and he just keeled over with no warning," Jennifer explained. "After he collapsed, I did a scan and found evidence of necrosis in several of his internal organs. His cells aren't renewing fast enough to sustain tissue function."
"Any idea why?" Sam asked, her eyes on Carson.
"I can only assume it's a complication due to the fact he's a clone," Jennifer proposed. "I've given him a course of treatment to try to stimulate cell growth but it's a bit like trying to find a cure for old age."
"What are you saying?" I looked from Carson to Jennifer, pretty sure none of us were gonna like the answer.
"On the outside he looks fine, but on the inside ... well, he's – he's dying," Jennifer revealed sadly.
"You can fix it though," Rodney looked to Jennifer pleadingly, "right?"
"I'm not sure," Jennifer evaded giving the answer I could see in her eyes. She couldn't fix it and we were going to lose Carson all over again just like we had Elizabeth. On top of all the emotions I was already holding in I felt like the additional knowledge was suffocating the oxygen from the room.
"I need some air," I announced to no one in particular, not waiting for a response before I strode away.
Standing on the nearest balcony helped me breathe better but it didn't resolve any of the issues, didn't get me any closer to finding Sabina and Teyla so I gave it up after only a few minutes. Nabel was out of surgery and potentially available for questioning – there was no reason I couldn't pursue that, see if I could get another lead to follow ... with Sam's permission.
"Regardless of how he got here, Nabel is a source we can't ignore," I spoke from Sam's doorway, drawing her eyes to mine. "I should go question him," I looked at her expectantly. "This isn't a coincidence – he was there when the Athosian's disappeared and now he turns up again. He knows where they are – maybe he knows where Teyla and Sabina are too."
"Tomorrow," Sam shook her head when I made to protest the wait. "No John. It's been a long day and it's late – too late for you to Gate anywhere else today. You can talk to Nabel in the morning."
Nodding reluctantly, I acknowledged that the wait was necessary, no matter how much it killed me to suffer any kind of delay. Hours later Atlantis was silent and dark as everyone slept ... everyone except me that is. I sat on the balcony in our room and tried not to think about all the ways Michael could hurt Sabina. It was a long night.
oOo
At first light I was pacing the infirmary, waiting for Nabel to regain consciousness. In the end it proved too easy to convince him to give Michael's location up – just the promise of a new life an entire galaxy away. Not only did he give us the gate address but he assured us both Teyla and Sabina would be there. Sam gave the go for us to proceed with all haste.
There was some debate over whether Carson should come along, given his deteriorating condition and the fact he and Jennifer had spent the entire previous evening trying to recreate the magic juice Michael had been feeding him for two years to keep what was currently happening from happening ... without success. His knowledge of the layout was too valuable, his desire to help too strong for me to deny him.
We gated to Michael's planet and Carson immediately motioned us forward in one direction.
"I'm reading a bunch of life signs up ahead," Rodney reported, eyes on his portable scanner.
"Maybe it's the Athosians," Ronon suggested.
"Yeah? Maybe it's a herd of those Frankensteins," Rodney suggested less positively.
The place was huge ... it was gonna take time and I was suddenly glad I'd let Carson come along.
"Doctor?" I looked at him for further direction.
"It's this way, I think," he sounded less certain than I would have liked and I frowned at Rodney worriedly.
"Carson," Rodney urged him for a more definite answer.
"No, no. I'm certain," Carson nodded more confidently. "It's this way."
Authors Note:
Next Up? Fortunate Journey Season 4 Chapter 56