Dr. Rodney McKay walked into the briefing room, one hand held his omnipresent data pad, the other his fifth cup of coffee. "Where's Sheppard? He's late again isn't he? What is he doing? Dawdling in the mes hall no doubt. Probably flirting with one of my scientists."
"Relax McKay." Ronon Dex slumped in his chair.
"It's only five minutes past the designated briefing time, which, I would like to point out, is also the five minutes you were not here. Shall we nag you for being late?" Elizabeth leaned her elbows on the table with a playful smile across her face.
"Well..." Rodney cleared his throat, looking more than a little put out. "If he takes five minutes more I get to complain then."
Ten minutes passed while the Teyla, Ronon, Rodney, and Elizabeth talked about nothing in particular. Elizabeth finally lost her patience, "Weir to Sheppard. John where are you? You're late."
No answer. After a moment she tried again, "John where are you?" Silence. "John if you can hear me please respond."
"He would be awake by now." Teyla said, glancing at her watch.
"He was pretty worn out yesterday." Rodney offered.
"He wouldn't oversleep no matter how hard he worked yesterday. He could be sick." Ronon said.
"Right then Ronon you check the gym. Teyla you try the mes hall. Rodney see if the sensors can help us with his quarters." Elizabeth ordered. The three left to find their elusive friend. Elizabeth just hoped John had only been distracted.
Teyla reported only a few minutes later. "Elizabeth, John is not at the mess hall and no one has seen him here. I'm heading up to the 'Jumper Bay, but I doubt he is there."
"He's not in the gym either." Came Ronon's voice.
"I'll check and see if Rodney has anything." Elizabeth stood and and walked to the control room. Rodney was typing away. "Tell me you have good news."
"Well, you could interpret it either way. There are no life signs in his quarters."
"Okay."
"There are also no dots moving twice as fast as anyone else, and there are no unmoving dots in remote areas. So he's not laying somewhere between the mess hall and his quarters in anguish, but..." Rodney turned to Elizabeth worry etched on his face. "We don't know where he is."
"He wouldn't take 'Jumper and go to the mainland without telling anyone. Try enlarging the scan?" She suggested.
"Right." Rodney breathed, then turned and tapped a few keys before glancing back up at the display screen. "Nope nothing. The Stargate hasn't been activated since we came back from rescuing Lorne and no Puddle Jumpers are missing. So unless he decided to take a swim..."
"Is there anyway reason he wouldn't turn up on the sensors?" Elizabeth inquired.
"Only if he was dead... Or turned into a hibernating wraith." Rodney answered. "Look, if he is still alive he's, one, swimming. Two, got someone to fly him to the mainland then bring the 'Jumper back. Three, he's miraculously found a way to hide himself from the sensors." Rodney counted off options with his fingers.
"Let's hope for number three," She reached up and tapped her earpiece. "Major Lorne, this is Dr. Weir. I need you to mobilize search teams. Colonel Sheppard is missing."
John groaned and rolled onto his back. His hands were bound beneath him, it was extremely uncomfortable, more so than most people realize. His leg was sore and numb and John knew he wouldn't be able to stand on it easily. The blood had dried and his pants were now sticking to his leg. He was completely dry, slightly hungry, and a little rested. All indications he'd been out for several hours. He sat up and looked around. Argrose was standing nearby doing something to a panel. It looked like something McKay would do, not the John payed much attention to that kind of thing of course.
Atlantis? Atlantis are you there? John waited anxiously for an answering thought. Atlantis?
I am here John. Atlantis' relief mingled with John's.
Could you access the system? Who is he? John asked.
Argrose Bolue, he was the most dangerous criminal the Ancients had to offer. He kept escaping, either on his own or with the help of friends. Eventually the Ancients had no choice but to put him in stasis and remove any other reference of him. Atlantis explained.
Just what I need. Dangerous felon on the loose. Have you been able to get help?
Not yet. This room is shielded. It was one of the many rooms they attempted to keep Argrose in. I have not been able to find you're exact location.
But you're talking to me right now. John pointed out.
Yes. But this is not unlike a simple radio link. I can speak with you but I always located you with the sensors or I knew because you knew.
Fantastic. So I have a criminal who is an ancient. Which means he can use the technology, no one knows where I am. And I'm injured. To top it off I'm tied up.
They do know you're missing. They are searching as we speak. You're going to have to try to escape though. You should also know that Argrose cannot... Atlantis was cut off as John felt a gruff hand on his arm. It was Argrose, holding one of John's least favorite items in the galaxy. A syringe.
"What are you doing?"
Argrose didn't reply. He rolled up John's sleeve and began to insert the syringe into the crook of John's arm. He tried to pull away but Argrose's grip was like iron, the rest of his arm's movement was restricted by tough rope. But it didn't stop him from trying. It took longer than it should of thanks to John's squirming. It only served to anger the criminal. Once he finished he shoved John harshly to the side and when he stood kicked his injured leg. Before he could stop it, John let out a soft yelp in pain. John decided now would be a good time to get some answers.
Atlantis... John repeated several times. Each time nothing happened and John realized her presence, a soft vibration in the back of his head, was missing. Atlantis would've finished what she needed to tell me. John thought, realizing how much he already missed Atlantis answering his thoughts. Only one logical explanation came to mind. He must've given me something to me off from her. But how did he know? All Ancients probably knew, John. He scolded himself and decided to ask, "What was that?"
No answer. Great. The silent treatment. John glanced around no obvious means of escape. Understandable, the guy was supposed to be an escape expert. He couldn't fight with his bindings and injury. He gave an inward sigh, he was going to have to watch and wait. Not his favorite strategy. He racked his brain for possible endings to Atlantis' last sentence. Maybe the reason Argrose was keeping him around.
"So... Why are you keeping me around?" John inquired, not really expecting an answer.
"You may prove useful." Argrose's reply surprised John, but before John had a chance to answer Argrose added with a note of sarcasm, "If your mouth doesn't kill you first."
John couldn't help but roll his eyes. "So they tell me. What is the stuff you injected me with?"
"It will keep you from showing on the sensors and from communicating with Atlantis." Argrose's voice was turning into a growl. This stubborn man was annoying him. Finishing at the panel, Argrose lifted his captive up roughly by the collar. They were leaving before someone found them. As they crossed the threshold John jerked backwards, the door conveniently closing between them. John loosed his hands completely, he'd been silently working his bonds while Argrose finished whatever he had been doing. John limped over to the console and activated it. He was hoping that Rodney would notice something turning on that wasn't supposed to. That and if he was lucky enough there'd be communications.
There was.
"Control room this is Sheppard."
"Sheppard? Oh thank goodness. Where have you been? For that matter where are you now?" Relief was evident through Rodney's shower of questions.
"I'm-" Pins-and-needles feeling. Crap.
Argrose angrily pounded the door. The motion sensor that opened the door were not working. However, thanks to his knowledge of escaping Atlantis, he knew another way in. The convict pulled out the ancient stunner he'd obtained from a hidden store room and ran to the other door. Waving his hand over the motion sensors Argrose found his former captive had his back to him. He was speaking! That meant if Argrose didn't act soon he wouldn't be able to get free. He shot the stunner which produced a zap and John Sheppard immediately slumped to the floor. Frustration and the smallest touch of respect welled up in Argrose. Frustration because the man was escaping his grasp more often than he'd like and respect because Argrose had the same trait. No one else he'd ever met could escape as often as he could. Thrusting his thoughts aside Argrose lifted the stunned man by his gray jacket. He'd already injected himself with the inhibitor that would dim the energy signature everyone's body normally emitted. Now he just need to get to the GateShip Bay. Then he would fly through the Stargate to another planet where he could be rid of his troublesome captive. Yes, Argrose Bolue was sure, he'd be a free man again soon. All he needed was to be patient.
"Elizabeth!" Rodney called as he got closer to the leader's office.
"What is it Rodney?" Elizabeth looked up from her data pad.
"Now we know for sure he's alive and on Atlantis."
"How?" In answer Rodney placed his tablet on the table and played his recent conversation.
"Control room this is Sheppard."
"Sheppard? Oh thank goodness. Where have you been? For that matter where are you now?"
"I'm-"
The sound of a stunner blast ended the message.
"When was this?" Elizabeth asked, worried.
"Just a few moments ago. I'm guessing Sheppard has found himself an ancient skeleton in the closet. If you catch my drift."
"I do. Keep going."
"Well, I don't know why we didn't notice it at first but I stumbled across something. It appears the ancients had a traitor in their midst. The guy was a master of escape, he kept slipping through their fingers. So they put him in a strange form of stasis, where they they stored his consciousness in a computer and left his body in the stasis pod."
"But why isn't his body old like the other... me? Whoever we are dealing with is obviously strong enough to give John some trouble." Elizabeth questioned with a frown.
"Yes, the Ancients accidentally came up with a drug to keep you from aging, mostly. Its actually a..." Rodney brought his hands up, a sure sign that he was about to say something scientific that interested him.
"Rodney, the Colonel." Elizabeth cut in.
"Right," Rodney said somewhat repentantly. "Anyway, the Ancients didn't mass produce it because, being at war with the wraith they didn't have a whole ton of time on their hands. Plus, it had some sort of side affect that they couldn't reverse. And they weren't sure if that would make wraith be able to get more out of a feeding session. So they gave a little bit to their biggest criminal and stuck him in stasis while severing his consciousness from his body."
"So stasis has slowed any side effects the drug may have." Rodney nodded. "Will they wear him down now?"
"They could, but the side effects could have worn off during his time in stasis."
"So John his being held prisoner by the worst convict of the Ancients."
"Yes."
"And we have no way of knowing where they are right now."
"Yes."
Elizabeth sighed, things weren't looking up.