Chapter 2. Conscience

"I don't know about this." Sam Carter said to the group that consisted of Colonel Ellis, Dr. McKay and Dr. Zelenka.

"Don't know? Are you saying this might not work?" Colonel Ellis asked with obvious impatience.

"No. Of course it'll work. All where going to do is basically super magnetise all the nanite cells together into a blob." Dr. McKay replied and then waved his hands around in front of him demonstrating. "A very, very big blob."

"But." Carter started. The group turned to her. She lowered her head down for a second reading herself to what she guessed would be a fight between the battle anxious Colonels. She looked back up at them determined. "We can't just send her to her death. She has sentience."

"Sentience?" Ellis asked bored.

"She's very.. Uh,.. Human." Radek put in warily.

Colonel Ellis crossed his arms. "She's a machine Doctor."

"Yes." McKay agreed, raising a finger to counter it. "but-"

"Do we ask our ships if it's okay to be put into a fire fight?" Colonel Ellis continued.

"No, but-" McKay started again exasperated that the annoying man wouldn't let him talk, only to be cut off again.

"Do we ask our drones if they feel up to being fired at the enemy?"

"No.." Rodney replied grinding his teeth.

"Do we-" Ellis started but was cut off by Carter standing up, and glaring hard at Ellis.

"Colonel Ellis. You will leave Atlantis now and not set foot in this city again. Is that understood?" Carter ordered strongly.

"Excuse me?" Colonel Ellis asked confused.

"I've already warned you about talking down to the people under my command, and treating them badly. Now you can leave to your ship or be put under guard in a room. Which is it Colonel?"

Colonel Ellis's eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

Carter leaned forward, voice low. "I am. I'm in charge of this expedition.. And right now I think you're a security threat."

Colonel Ellis's eyes narrowed. "And how could I possible pose a security threat?"

Rodney's eyes widened as he figured it out. He snapped his fingers and pointed at Ellis. "You could take FRAN and force her to do the job without us!"

Sam nodded to McKay's idea and tapped her radio. "Major Lorne."

"Fran? Who's Fran?" Colonel Ellis asked confused.

"Yes Ma'am?" Evans voice asked over the comms.

"We need you and some of your men up here. It appears Colonel Ellis need to be put under house arrest."

"House arrest? But Ma'am, he could just pop back up to the Apollo whenever he'd want too?"

"I know Major. That's why you're going up there with him." Sam responded.

"Ma'am?" Lorne asked confused as he made his way inside the room.

"I'm letting the crew know for the time being you're in charge of the Apollo."

Lorne's eyes widened as he and his men put restraints on Ellis. "If you say so Ma'am."

After Major Lorne, his men and Colonel Ellis left the room, Sam sat down exasperated. She put her head in her hands and groaned. "What did I just do?"

"You stood up for me again... Like a bad ass! Like a really, really hot blonde bad ass!" Rodney swooned, blue eyes full of wonder and awe.

Sam took a deep breath. "I didn't do it for you Rodney... I did it for the principality of the thing."

"Sure.." Rodney smirked. "But now I know you love me."

Before Sam could retort Zelenka cleared his throat. The two turned too him as if just remembering he was in the room at all. "You know.. Either way, FRAN did say she wanted to go through with it." Zelenka put in.

Sam began thinking it over when suddenly a voice called out. "It wouldn't have worked anyway." Sam looked up too see FRAN standing in between the slit panels that had opened up for her to be joined in the conference room. Her guards in tow behind her.

FRAN continued as she looked around at the rooms occupants. "After running the calculations myself I have concluded that the Replicators would be able to adapt much faster then Father has predicted."

"Really?" Rodney asked going over to her and she showed him her tablet.

"So we would have made Repli-zilla" Radek stated, with raised eyebrows as he peered over the twos shoulders.

"Yes, if you had followed the past plan. However, I believe I have a solution to that problem." Fran looked over Rodney. "Is it alright if I show you my new calculations, Father?"

"What?" Rodney asked for a second confused as he kept evaluating her prediction. "Oh, yes." He snapped his fingers. "You may need me to go over your work. See if any mistakes are made."

FRAN gave a calm smile. "I am sure my calculations are fine, but yes.. I would be interested in your opinion and expertise, Father. Surely any ideas would greatly better my own."

Rodney smirked, proudly. Enjoying the polite boost to his ego. "Yes. Right. Lead on." He waved his hand in front of them towards the way out.

"Wait." Sam raised a hand stopping them. "I thought we just decided against sending FRAN to sacrifice herself."

Rodney paused in thought, frowning. You could see the wheels turning in his head through his eyes."

FRAN smiled prettily at Sam. "Not to worry, Mother. I will not need to be sacrificed."

"You... Won't?" Radek asked curious.

FRAN looked to him, her smile still bright. "No Dr. Zelenka. I have figured out the proper calibrations needed to construct a cube just as Father originally wanted."

Everyone's eyes widened across the room. FRAN just kept smiling, even more so now that she believed she had made her parents happy. Then she lead the way back to the lab.