The Other Side of the Story: John's POV
Interlude 18: Can we go now?
"Shield collapse is imminent," Rodney yelled just as the wormhole kawhooshed. I hit the event horizon at a run ...
... that continued three seconds later on my exit back into the Gateroom of Atlantis.
Skidding to a halt I noticed the Marines immediately, rifles all trained on me and held my hands out appropriately. "Whoa!"
"John!" Sam exclaimed as she and Rodney made their way down from the Control Room, obviously surprised to see me.
"Colonel!" I grinned, looking around the Gateroom at everyone and everything just as it should be. "It worked! It worked. Rodney, you're a genius."
"Okay," Rodney agreed uncertainly, not above accepting the compliment even though he had no idea what I was talking about.
"John, what happened?" Sam asked.
"How much time has gone by?" I demanded.
"You've been missing for twelve days," Sam revealed.
"And Sabina – is she here?" I could see them all thinking 'he'd lost it now if he doesn't remember his wife is missing.'
"No John," Sam replied gently. "We still haven't found her or Teyla."
"Okay," I looked away, thinking aloud. "Twelve days, twelve days. She's not here yet so Teyla won't have had her baby either." Looking back at Sam I acknowledged they all thought I was a little crazy. "Look, I know this sounds kinda weird, but we're on the clock."
"John, what are you talking about?" Sam asked, confused.
"I know where Sabina is," I announced boldly ... not strictly true but I was counting on Sabina being with Teyla. There was no way I was allowing any doubt to creep in that the data crystal holo-Rodney had given me would lead to Teyla without Sabina being there too.
Of course that's when they started treating me like I wasn't John Sheppard at all.
"Let's get you to Doctor Keller, have her check you out," Sam suggested in a carefully reasonable tone.
"Oh, don't do this," I protested. "I'm not a Replicator or a clone."
"Then where have you been for the past twelve days?" Rodney demanded impatiently.
"Okay, this isn't gonna help convince you I'm not crazy, but here goes," I launched into an explanation without pause. "I dialled Atlantis from M4S-587, stepped through as usual only I ended up in the future ... forty eight thousand years into the future. Rodney, you created a hologram program to be there when I arrived and to look for a specific kind of solar flare that could send me back here. I was in stasis for seven hundred years before one occurred, enough time that the shields were failing because the sun had gone red giant. But I made it through ... with this," I held up the data crystal. "Your hologram said it contains details of the location of the planet where they found Teyla in that future plus everything else we need to know to help defeat Michael. We find Teyla, we find Sabina. But we have to hurry because if Teyla has that baby before we get there then she's dead, and pretty much the rest of us along with her."
I was almost panting at the end of what was probably the longest spiel I'd ever delivered.
"The Stargate sent you forty eight thousand years into the future?" Rodney zeroed in on that being the most unbelievable part of my story.
"Yes!" I thrust hands through my hair in frustration, raining sand down on the floor around me. "Go and see for yourself – you can do that right?"
"Rodney, go check the Gate logs," Sam asked thoughtfully. "John, infirmary first and then Isolation Room One ... we'll talk again there."
Almost growling in frustration, I manfully tried to reign in my impatience. It was obvious nothing I was gonna say would convince Sam to just believe me ... I would have to work through the entire procedure before I'd have any chance to get out and find Teyla ... and hopefully Sabina too.
"Fine - but let's make this quick," I turned and strode rapidly from the room, leaving them staring after me.
oOo
Jennifer gave me the full works on medical tests and then released me to the Isolation Room. She was gracious about it, even commented on how glad she was to see me, but I was still consumed with that same frustration and impatience. For the whole two weeks prior to that wormhole going off course I'd had nothing concrete to follow up. Now I did and protocol was getting in the way of me acting on it and all I could do was pace around angrily, knowing they were watching me from up in the observation room.
When Sam came into the room I jumped right in before she had a chance to say anything.
"We don't have time for this."
"John, there are procedures we have to follow," Sam said reasonably. "You know that."
"I am not a clone," I bit back insistently. "Is that what you're worried about?"
"No, your medical came back clean, telomeres and all, but there are other things we need to discuss," Sam explained. "I mean, you have to admit: this is a pretty wild story, even for this place."
"But that's my whole point!" I said, throwing my hands up irritably. "How could I make this up?"
"Sam," Rodney's voice came through over the tannoy loud and clear. "Believe it or not, I found it. It was in the sensor log. It's a solar flare capable of interfering with the wormhole from M4S-587 at exactly the moment that Lorne says he dialled."
"Well, why didn't the Gate's failsafe prevent the wormhole from locking?" Sam asked.
"Umm, well, we've had a number of glitches since we, uh, last updated the operating system," Rodney admitted with an awkward uncomfortable edge to his voice.
"Oh, that's what you call a "glitch," huh?!" I retorted incredulously.
"Yes, well, you should know that, uh, I'll be giving Zelenka a stern talking to," Rodney replied.
"Can we go now?" I looked at Sam hopefully.
"First you'll need to give me the highlights on what you found out from the future," Sam replied. "Just anything of strategic or tactical importance so we can hopefully avoid anything unpleasant this time around."
"Sure," I agreed, spending as little time as possible filling her in on Michael's plans and how he managed to achieve them in the future – making it pretty clear heading out to save Teyla and Sabina was of urgent importance.
"Okay John – I'll fill the others in. Go get cleaned up, then grab your gear," Sam finally ordered. "I'll have Lorne and two teams of Marines ready in the Gateroom when you get there."
"Thanks Colonel," I jumped up and almost ran from the room.
Back in the quarters I shared with Sabina I hardly took a moment to look around and be glad I was home ... rushing through the first shower I'd had in seven hundred years (yeah, poor joke but sometimes you just have to go there) I ran back into the Gateroom less than ten minutes later.
"Colonel, good to have you back," Lorne greeted me with a relieved smile.
"Good to be back Major," I replied, looking over the group of Marines going with us. "Where's the rest of your team?"
"We were following up a lead off world," Lorne explained. "Colonel Carter radioed in that you'd returned and ordered me back here. I left the others behind to continue with the mission ... you know, just in case ...," he trailed off awkwardly.
"In case it turns out I really have lost it this time?" I smiled to let him know I wasn't offended. "Don't worry about it Evan ... if I was in your place and got handed such an absurd story I'd have my doubts too."
"So you were really in the future?" Lorne commented curiously. "How was it?"
"Very, very grim," I shared that news with a hard look. "Believe me when I say it's not a place any of us want to end up ... those that survive."
"Oh," Lorne looked away, uncomfortable with my intensity, probably wishing he hadn't asked that question.
The Stargate was already being dialled by the time Ronon and Rodney appeared.
"Sheppard," Ronon greeted me casually, like it hadn't been almost two weeks since he'd seen me, but I could tell he was happy I was back.
"Hey buddy," I replied. "Ready to go get Teyla and Sabina back?"
"Past ready," Ronon grinned evilly and I suddenly wondered about the last two weeks from his perspective. Should make a note to myself to ask him about it once this was all over.
"Look, um, I know you've already been debriefed about future events – all the things we were hoping to avoid – but there's just one more thing I need to know," Rodney rushed out the question in a low voice.
"What?" I asked, hoping to put him off.
"Did I still have hair?" Rodney asked with a hopeful look.
"No," I looked away as I answered. I know it was mean but come on – seven hundred years in stasis – he so deserved that little dig and I'd come clean ... after he'd had time to stew over it. Teasing Rodney made everything feel just that little bit normal ... and I needed that feeling ... needed to take the edge of the anticipatory nerves jangling around inside of me. It was time to focus on what had to be done ... time to go get Sabina and Teyla. And this time nothing was going to stand in my way.
Running a glance over everyone and seeing they were ready to head out I gave the order. "Let's go!"
oOo
The gate address holo-Rodney had given me led to a planet with buildings and towers to match his description. The place was huge ... we'd have to split up to cover the ground quickly.
"Lorne, take McKay, search that way," I ordered, motioning for one of the teams of Marines to go with them. "Ronon, you and the others will be with me. Search every room – let me know if you find anything. Move out."
We headed into a warehouse beside the two tallest towers in search of the room where Teyla would be found. There were no signs of current occupation, although clearly someone had been living there since the place had been abandoned. When we came to the first junction I motioned for the Marines to go one way while Ronon and I continued alone. It was slow going, searching every corridor and corner for something familiar before moving on. After we'd been going for a few minutes I contacted Rodney to see how they were doing.
"Rodney, you got anything?"
"Hold on," Rodney replied. A few moments passed and then he was back. "Yeah. Yeah, I've got some kind of a data terminal. Let me see if I can power it up and hack in."
Ronon and I opened the next door and walked inside ... it looked familiar but not in the way it would if I'd ever been there before. No, I was pretty sure I'd found the right place.
"This is it," I told Ronon confidently. "This is where they found Teyla."
"How do you know?" Ronon looked around, not seeing anything to confirm what I knew to be true.
"'Cause he described it to me," I said simply.
Ronon acted immediately, racing to the next doorway with a growl, blaster aimed and ready. I followed more cautiously, motioning for us to go in together.
There was nothing there, no sign of Teyla ... should I be thankful for that? No sign of Michael either. The room had been set up though, into some kind of Wraith birthing room, complete with a knife presumably for cutting the cord.
"McKay, we've got something," I radioed to report.
"What is it?" Rodney sounded somewhat distracted as he replied.
"Michael's twisted version of a maternity ward," I revealed, looking at what could only be intended as an incubator. "I think we're too early, though, but he's gonna bring her here to have the baby."
"Hold on. I'm in," Rodney announced excitedly. "Woah! Jackpot!"
"What've you got?" I queried hopefully.
"I've got everything!" Rodney's tone made it clear he really couldn't believe his luck. "I've got Gate addresses, I've got sub-space communication codes. I've even got his research into the hybrids! He's history!"
Before I had the chance to get excited about that he was speaking again, only this time it was doom and gloom Rodney. "No-no. No-no-no-no-no. What happened?"
Then next thing we heard was the sound of an explosion in the distance, followed quickly by Lorne yelling into his radio.
"Colonel, it's a booby trap!" The building started to shake as if to add weight to that conclusion. "We've gotta get out of here now!"
A large metal beam fell from the roof in front of us, barely missing us. "So much for future knowledge!" I ground out ... the advantage I'd gained from holo-Rodney gone in the first few minutes by events even he couldn't have predicted.
We ran from the room, ducking quickly as more of the ceiling fell in.
"This way," Ronon yelled, pointing towards the centre of the building.
I followed, keeping track of him through an increasing rain of dust and debris. Everything was groaning and shaking and then the whole building was collapsing. The noise was incredible and there was nowhere to hide ... I could see the walls collapsing in around us, tightening the space with which we had to move. I knew what was coming but there was nothing I could do for myself or for Ronon. When the collapse got to us Ronon and I ducked low and waited to get slammed. I saw the beam heading straight for me but I couldn't avoid it completely. It was gonna hit hard ... I had about three seconds to pray that somehow I'd get out of this - get another chance to save Sabina ... and then it was lights out John.
Authors Note:
Yes, I deliberately sent the rest of Lorne's team somewhere else early on because it seemed in the episode that only Lorne, Rodney, John and Ronon survived the bomb and building collapse and I didn't want to kill Parker and Brown off. I don't use them much but I like them! One more John POV chapter before we get back to finding out how Sabina is doing. Oh, and there are only five or six chapters left now ... we're zooming towards the finish line here!
Next Up? The Other Side of the Story Chapter 19 ...