"Rodney, wake up." Carson shook the physicist's shoulders, producing a moan but nothing more. "Rodney!" Carson smacked Rodney's cheek several times.
"Wha–?" Rodney sat up and blinked to clear his foggy vision. "Where are we? What happened?"
"Argrose." Elizabeth knelt next to Rodney. "We sent him through the Stargate and a few minutes later we all blacked out."
"Why? Did we get the code?" Rodney asked.
"No, we sent him through, we gave him his bag and then he was supposed to tell us the code. Obviously that didn't work."
"He was playing us from the beginning." Carson stated frustrated.
"We need to get out of here and stop whatever plans he has in mind." Elizabeth said.
"Okay help me up."
"You know, for a virtual reality–" John began.
"–Environment." Atlantis corrected.
"Environment, everything feels pretty real." John finished.
"I haven't felt anything in ten thousand years, how do you think it is for me?" Atlantis asked, smiling slightly.
"Well I doubt it feels like you just got fed on by a wraith." John said sarcastically, but quietly, still conscious of the fact that they were trying to avoid capture. "If this is a real simulation could we blow up this place?"
"It would be written into the system but we don't have any explosives." Atlantis pointed out.
"McKay has been able to overload thing so that they can explode. Couldn't you do the same?" John whispered.
Atlantis considered the possibility for a moment. "Yes, I suppose I could."
"Alright lets go." John started walking.
"You should be aware though that defeating these wraith will not end the program."
John halted. "How is the program supposed to end?"
"It was always done by an Ancient outside the environment." Atlantis replied.
"Of, course it was. What is the point of making it so the user can turn it off? Naturally that would be a bad idea."
Atlantis shook her head, smiling.
Breathing a deep breath Lorne looked carefully around the corner.
This is where the rest of your people are. Atlantis told Lorne.
Lorne counted one, two, three, skip a few, eight. Three more walked down the hallway from what Lorne suspected must have been a patrol. Frowning Lorne asked, How many are there?
I am sorry, my functions are limited at the moment. It is hard enough speaking with you and John at the same time. Atlantis answered.
Okay then, LSD. Lorne checked his vest having completely forgotten picking one up. He could only hope that all the guards were in a 100 meter radius. The twenty or so dots showing up on the screen were depressing to say the least. Lorne really wished that he had been around to learn a few tricks about cat and mouse from Colonel Sheppard during the Genii invasion.
An abrupt wave of excitement washed over him accompanied by a, Lorne!
What? Lorne asked curiously.
Turn around, head back to the transporter. Atlantis thoughts were hurried.
Okay, okay. I'm going. Lorne hurried as quietly back to the transporter, adding, And since you're in my head you can call me Evan.
A quick trickle of pleasure flowed in with Atlantis excitement.
Atlantis guided Evan through the halls, not telling him where he was going, and continuously telling him to hurry up. After the fifth though of, Faster, Evan snapped. I got it! Concentrate on the Colonel.
The 'faster's stopped and were replaced by Atlantis' feeling of urgency, which was just as bad.
Here.
Evan swiped his hand over the door panel, breathing heavily from his run. Looking inside he realized Atlantis had led him to the room currently occupied by one unconscious colonel.
Atlantis was doing something on the console that John chalked up to 'McKayish', when she rapidly turned on her heel, a wide smile on her face.
"What?" John asked.
Atlantis seemed thoroughly amused by the question, "I think I have a way to end the program."
"I thought that could only be done from the outside?"
"Yes."
"Ans Argrose put some pass code or other on there?"
"Yes."
"Well are you going to tell me or keep me suspense?"
"If we can overload this at the same time the crystals are then it should successfully freeze the program long enough from me to pull you out." Atlantis explained patiently.
"How are you going to take care of the crystals?" John was a little confused as to the many holes in Atlantis' plan.
"I have that taken care of." Atlantis said flapping her hand towards him. "Besides Argrose has taken over the city and we need to stop him quickly."
"Argrose has taken over the city?" John repeated, alarmed.
"I didn't mention that?"
"No, you didn't."
"Huh." Atlantis returned to the console.
"What do I do?" Evan asked, momentarily forgetting he could speak to Atlantis in his head.
There is a panel at the head of the table, open it.
Evan moved towards it, knelt, and pulled open the drawer revealing a tray of crystals and such.
"Okay."
Remove the the third orange cylinder from the left... Set that aside... Carefully... Now take the center, clear, flat crystal out... Smash it.
Evan raised an eyebrow.
What? It's caused a lot of trouble. Atlantis said defensively.
After about five minutes Atlantis straightened and turned back towards John. "Alright, I'm going to have to leave so that I'll be able to pull you out. You will need to set the explosion and tell me when it is about to go."
"You said something was preventing you from leaving." John stated frowning.
"I've taken care of that. Now come here."
When I say, I need you to shoot the tray to pieces.
You've spent way to much time in Colonel Sheppard's head. Evan thought, half to himself but aware Atlantis would know.
"Okay Atlantis. Its about to explode in... ten seconds." John reported aloud, hoping Atlantis could hear.
Now Evan. Atlantis commanded.
Evan didn't hesitate in emptying the rest of his magazine into the tray.
As everything around him exploded, John felt something tugging at him it was a hard feeling to describe. Before he knew it he was pulled into darkness. He blinked furiously at the assault of light upon opening his eyes. Groaning, John slapped his hand over his eyes.
"Sir."
John felt someone shaking his shoulder.
The lights are dim. Atlantis informed him five seconds later
John slid his hand off his eyes and sat up, aided by his newly seen second in command.
"Did you do that?" Evan asked his groggy commanding officer.
"Atlantis did it." The words left his mouth before John realized that Evan would think he was crazy. Upon looking up though he saw a believing look on Evan's face. "What are you doing here?"
"Atlantis told me to come down here and shoot the crystal tray to bits." Evan explained motioning to the the shot out tray giving off electrical sparks.
John turned his head to look at it while saying, "Atlantis told you – " Stopping and turning back to Evan, "Never mind help me up."
John, Evan, you need to hurry it up.
"We got it." Evan snapped, slipping his arm around an exhausted John and pulling him up.
Testy.
John snickered when Evan, having nothing else, glared at the wall. Ever since Atlantis had told John that she had once been human, he had noticed she acted a little more like one instead of a computer. John wondered if it was conscious or not.
The two started off to the closest armory, Evan occasionally lending support when John stumbled. John retold what Atlantis had told him about being an ancient to pass the time.
Stop! Atlantis told them.
John heard footsteps uncomfortably close.
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