Vegas: Resistance7
"Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,"
The ground was shaking. Moira grabbed her son and huddled over him, sheltered in the doorway to their rooms in the facility. She held the boy close but the child wasn't frightened. He was used to earthquakes by now. He smiled, looking round and watching the dirt shower from the ceiling again. Moira stared up as well. She realized this wasn't a normal earthquake.
"Mommy, mommy, look!" Johnny pointed to the hallway where a bright light flashes then is gone. "What that?"
"I don't know." Moira moved cautiously to her feet as the shaking abruptly stopped. "Let's find out, darling. Here." She took his hand and led him carefully down the hallway.
"Moira! Are you all right?" Katie Brown hastened to her side, glancing at the little boy.
"We're fine. What's going on? That was no earthquake."
"I don't know…but we both know who will know."
The two women and the boy quickly climbed the stairs to the control room. It was deserted except for Rodney as he leaned over a comm unit, fingers typing over a keyboard. "Yes, yes, do not intercept. Readings are normal. Stabilization in three, two, one. Colonel, you are clear to land but by all means use the cloaking device."
"Acknowledged," came a scratchy voice over the unit, and the women stopped short, surprised. "Authorization code Alpha 7 Tango 3."
"Daddy!" Johnny recognized his father's voice, garbled as it was and he ran to the table.
"Acknowledged." Rodney gently moved the little boy back from the radio. "Hey, kiddo."
"Rodney, what's going on? The earthquake?" Katie asked. "Is there a new offensive?"
"That wasn't an earthquake. What's John doing in the air? He was supposed to be here, seeing to the preparations for the, the mission." Moira spoke past the sudden lump in her throat and touched her abdomen briefly.
Rodney smiled at her. "No. That's not John. I did it."
"Where daddy?" pouted Johnny, trying to grab the radio but Rodney kept the child from it.
"Did what? You…you opened the rift," Moira realized.
"Yes. And don't worry! Nothing bad got through. I got us the help we need! The help we desperately need and now John doesn't have to go!" Rodney's triumph was short-lived as another quake rammed the facility. Moira grabbed her son and huddled down with him as Rodney and Katie joined her in the doorway.
"Rodney! What have you done? Did you open it in here?" Katie asked as dirt showered around them.
"Yes, well, partially, I mean I opened it in space/time in space and then here in a quantum entanglement to open two points of time simultaneously within the magnetic field to—"
"English, Rodney!" Moira ordered. She had to raise her voice over the rumbling as the ground was trembling and almost whirling under their feet.
"Mommy, mommy we go ride!" Johnny shouted, enchanted by the motion but then it all stopped and he pouted. "Mommy, where daddy?"
Carefully the adults rose to their feet. "Damn, Rodney…what's next? Are you trying to tear the world apart?" Katie snapped, brushing dirt off her clothes.
"I am trying to save it. Excuse me. I have to see…trust me."
"Wait, wait, Rodney!" Moira grabbed his arm, halting him. "You mean you are telling me that you have brought over a, a John Sheppard from an alternate reality?" Curiosity and worry combined as she stared at the scientist.
"Yes." With a single word he replied, then freed his arm to quickly ascend the stairs, leaving the two women to stare after him in astounded wonder.
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John stared at his friend, stupefied. He didn't know what to say. He was at a complete loss, but then words filled his mouth as anger filled his mind. "What the fuck have you done, McKay? I've got reports of tremendous seismic activity all over the nation, or what's left of it! I've got astronomers telling our government that there has been some significant event that has shifted the Earth on its axis! It's fucking axis, Rodney! And you tell me you've opened the rift! I swear to God if you let any more Wraith through I will personally send you to them!"
Rodney shrugged. "I expected there might be some, um, residual effects but the—"
"You expected and still did it anyway? I've got an offensive to plan and in exactly three hours I will be engaged with the enemy! If they alter their course because of your goddamm tinkering I will shove your ass straight into a—"
"John! I got us the help we need! I got us ZPMs and Drones! I got us two Jumpers! They are Ancient ships that can be rendered invisible by a cloaking device and can deliver the payload successfully, plus they pack more firepower than our nukes on their own!"
"And who is going to fly these…what did you call them? Jumpers? What kind of name is that for a ship anyway? I told you, Rodney, I am the only one qualified and skilled enough to fly this mission, goddammit!"
"Yes, you told me, and you will fly it. Or rather your other self will."
John stared at him as if the man had lost his mind.
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"Daddy, daddy, daddy!" Johnny ran awkwardly towards the dark-haired man who towered above him. He was dressed differently, in a curious outfit of black and blue and has a sidearm strapped to one thigh but none of that matters. All that matters is that daddy was home. "Daddy!" Johnny abruptly stopped short, falling onto his rear as the man turned to him.
The man looked exactly like daddy, but the expression on his face is one of shock and bafflement. Not recognition and love that his daddy always has. The man's gaze lifted but the surprise remains as he stared at mommy. Mommy has come up behind him and gently helps Johnny to his feet, pulling him to her with concern.
"John…Colonel Sheppard…" Moira said, staring in wonder. The man before her could have been her husband's twin, except for being clean-shaven. The look on his handsome face disturbed her and she drew her son closer to her, keeping hold of the little boy.
Sheppard stared back at her. The shock of being called daddy by a little boy who eerily resembled him was replaced by the shock of seeing a ghost. Of seeing Moira O'Meara alive and well in this reality, and apparently married to his alternate self here. It was so surprising Sheppard was at a loss for words, but he swallowed. "Moira. Hi."
"Mommy, mommy, that not daddy," Johnny warned, staring wide-eyed.
"I know, darling. It's all right." Moira moved the little boy behind her. She took a step closer to Sheppard. She touched his arm, as if having to make certain he was real. "I…um…you…I don't believe it. I mean Rodney always talked about this but now…seeing you…"
"Weird, I know. It will be weirder when I see myself, so to speak." A quick smile. "Moira."
Moira heard the grief in his voice, the current of guilt. "I take it I'm not in your, um, reality, then?"
"No. I mean you were but I…I lost you." Sheppard couldn't look away from her as her brown eyes filled with sympathy. "Moira…you…him…I mean…a son? Wow. I mean…wow."
Moira smiled gently. "Yeah, you could say that. You are from the Pegasus Galaxy, right? A city called Atlantis?"
"Yeah. We're based out there…I guess you guys haven't gone there yet. There's a planet there we call Pleistocene Park. It's full of living, breathing megafauna. Prehistoric animals that you have only seen as fossils." He touched her arm, seeing her disbelief. "It's true, Moira, I swear! I should have brought some footage of it for you. I didn't even think that you'd be here…I guess I just thought that…" He looked at the little boy peering round his mother. He looked back at Moira who was watching him. "Um…I…look, I just…you…me…I mean we were just…we just met but I feel like I know you…knew her, I guess, I…look, Moira, you…"
"Oh no!" Rodney rushed to Sheppard. "No, no, no, no, no! This can't be good! Let's go, Colonel. We need to plan the offensive, and you'll want to give John a crash course in Jumper 101 because knowing John he will still insist upon going but he'll be a hell of a lot safer! Let's go. Sorry, Moira, I didn't mean for you to meet him, I mean for him to meet you, I mean, oh crap let's just go, shall we?" Rodney pulled Sheppard down the hallway.
Sheppard followed, glancing back at Moira and the little boy. He was completely rattled by seeing her, by seeing a son that by all rights should be his, and would have been his if he hadn't had lost his Moira on that planet. Forcing his emotions aside he turned and followed Rodney.
Moira stared after him. If she hadn't had seen this other John Sheppard with her own eyes she never would have believed it. She wondered at the fate of her other self. She glanced down at her son who was staring as well. "Let's go, darling. We will see daddy soon. We will see your daddy soon, okay? It's all right. That man is going to help your daddy save the planet."
Moira only hoped that this other Sheppard can keep John safe as well.