"We are nearing our destination."
Todd's typical, distorted voice rang through the cabin of his cruiser, startling the woman having pressed herself into a corner. She stood up, arm still throbbing, and approached the leather-clad figure at the controls. He turned his head and watched her out of the corner of his eye. Jennifer wasn't sure if it was done out of concern for his well-being or out of habit. As she came to stand beside him, he straightened and placed his hands behind his back before facing her. As he turned, the glittering form of a Wraith Hive appeared through the window behind him.
"I have alerted my Hive to our situation and that I will be bringing a...guest...on board." Todd paused for a moment, considering his words. "I must warn you that your presence will not be welcomed among my compatriots, in spite of the fact that you will be there of my own command. It will be...difficult...to convince them of your worth."
The doctor's throat constricted, but she let the Wraith continue.
"When we arrive, you must not show fear. While some of us, like myself, can exercise restraint, the other, lower, members of my kind may not. Providing you remain calm, they will not make any attempts at your life."
"Aren't you supposed to be in charge? Shouldn't they listen to you?"
The scientist chuckled, a deep, throaty sound Jennifer couldn't quite decide if she liked.
"They should, yes. But, as I'm sure you are well aware, there are no guarantees with my kind. We are, after all, an 'aggressive and volatile' race." The good doctor was certain she saw him mimic the raised-eyebrow expression so common to humans, and she felt her face flush in a discomfort she hadn't expected. Todd was playing on her previous words to him, indicating, however indirectly, that he had been offended by her description. But, rather than appeasing him with an apology, Jennifer stood tall and set her jaw.
"Well," she snapped, "You are."
This time the laughter was more pronounced, and the Wraith commander pivoted back to the controls. His hands worked fluidly across the console, his eyes skimming across the scrolling array of symbols. "It appears that there are some facets of your own character that would do well to be restrained. Namely, your impudence toward your superiors." When he looked over his shoulder at her again, something in his expression had changed. "I will not tolerate insubordination, Doctor Kell-err. If you wish to survive long enough to see the serum put into action, you will heed my every command, and even more so when there are others in the vicinity."
Jennifer felt her body weakening and she leaned against another console for support.
"And when our research is complete? What of me then?"
The yellow eyes glimmered and the pupils dilated.
"That remains to be seen, Doctor. I make no promises I cannot keep."
The Wraith Second, who Jennifer recognized by the name John had given him, stared at her, wide eyed and mouth open, as she appeared behind Todd in the cruiser bay. Kenny looked at his commander a moment later, evidently surprised.
"The healer?" he asked, and Todd dipped his head into a nod.
"She is vital to the completion of the Hoffan serum. And...we did not have time to bicker about whether or not she was coming along." There was a hint of irritation in his voice as he said this, and Kenny looked back at Jennifer with narrowed eyes. "Please, escort our guest to the upper deck. Allow her to make herself comfortable." Todd's eyes met the doctor's and his eyes lifted into a faint imitation of a human smile. It might have been comforting...had the razor sharp teeth been less obvious to her as he did so. Kenny stepped back and held out his arm, ushering her past Todd and allowing her to walk beside him to an uncertain fate.
"I trust you have found your accommodations more than suitable?"
Jennifer's body hitched and she whirled around to see the Wraith commander standing in the doorway, his hands placed in their trademark position at his back, his shoulders stout and firm. He took a few slow steps toward her and watched with a weak sense of amusement as she backed herself into a wall, and then appeared quite panicked when she had nowhere to go.
"I must say that I am surprised by your mistrust, Doctor Kell-err," he vociferated from his place before her. "We have worked together many times, and I have never once threatened your life." Now he appeared genuinely interested to hear her response.
"You mean besides the time you tried to ram the Daedalus into the planet harboring the Aterro device? You know I was aboard that ship, right?" The woman crossed her arms now, feigning strength of character, but failing when her arm twinged and she flinched.
"You are hurt," Todd observed, and before she could remove herself from his range, his feeding hand took hold of her.
"Don't!" the honey-blonde woman cried, struggling against her captor. "Please, don't—"
The Wraith only snarled and slammed her against the wall with his other hand. The doctor screamed, her voice crackling at the pitch, as she prepared for the inevitable. But, instead of the sensation of his feeding hand plunging against her chest and taking her life, she felt the burning ache in her arm dissipate. Moments later, the commander released her, and she collapsed to the soft Hive floor. Her breathing was rapid, but the pain was gone. When Todd knelt before her, she refused to look at him.
"Perhaps you should consider other possible outcomes to my touch before you let my entire crew believe I have fed upon you, Doctor Kell-err." He placed a cold finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to look at him. "And perhaps we are not as 'aggressive and volatile' as you might have imagined. Had I wished to obtain sustenance from you, I would have fed upon you long before now, and would not have wasted the resources to bring you to my ship."
Beneath his hand, he felt the woman trembling, in spite of the words he intended to be calming. Obviously, it wasn't working, and it frustrated him. She had seemed perfectly at ease when they were working together in the Atlantean lab. He didn't understand why the environment would have any affect on her willingness to work by his side.
"Doctor Kell-err," he purred, making a conscious effort to make his voice as cordial as possible. "Contrary to what you may believe, you are in no danger here so long as I am by your side. We must work together on this gene therapy, just as we have done before."
"Before there wasn't the constant risk of being eaten," she spat in return.
"So long as you do not make a habit of wandering the ship unescorted, I can assure you that risk is quite minimal here as well."
"And what happens when we perfect the gene therapy? When you no longer have a use for me? Without Atlantis, you can't send me home. What will become of me? I will not serve the enemy of the Ancients only to be fed upon in the end." Her voice shook as she questioned him.
The Wraith groaned and rolled his eyes slightly—a trait he had picked up during his time as a prisoner of the Genii. He knew the doctor wasn't stupid...so why couldn't she seem to get it through her head that he didn't want to kill her?
"We will examine your options when the need presents itself," he answered finally, still crouched in front of her and holding her chin between his fingers. "But for now, I must confine you to these quarters until you are able to quell your anxieties about living among my Wraith. Your fear will only encourage their insubordination, and I cannot risk being deprived of your expertise. You are not my prisoner, but my guest. You may move about these quarters freely and devoid of restraints. That is more hospitality than was shown to me back in Atlantis." He sneered here, and released her.
They stood up in unison, Keller's mind swimming with the recognition of the hospitable side of Todd she had not witnessed until now. But, was it genuine? That would remain to be seen. The Wraith stepped back, allowing her to regain her personal space, and then held out an arm.
"Please," he began, the hoarse nature of his voice seeming somewhat subdued, "Allow me to show you to your sleeping chambers. I think you will find them quite comfortable."
Still tense, but deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being, Jennifer allowed herself to be ushered to the far side of the upper deck. As they passed through several doors, Todd explained how she would be able to make them function properly. When they reached a fourth set of doors, the Wraith stopped and held his body in a rigid posture upon facing her.
"This door can be programmed to accept only your individual vocal intonations as a means of entering. It is one of the ways we Wraith ensure we have time to ourselves. As you can imagine, it is...tiresome...to operate mentally...for days on end."
"Like that overly friendly neighbor who won't shut up," Keller mumbled, but Todd merely tilted his head. She looked up at him. "I just mean that I understand." He nodded.
"As we are both still wary of the other, I have not yet programmed this door to function in this way, but should your stay outlast our...differences of opinion...I will do so."
A part of her didn't quite understand his reasoning, but she dipped her head nonetheless.
"Thank you, Todd."
A mere grunt answered her, and he swiped his hand across the door but didn't actually touch it. It opened, revealing a large room with an enormous window. She realized that the window was on one side of the large center gap seen in the Hive ships, and as she approached it, she was able to look out over the entire ship. Beside the window was a large bed, draped in deep purple blankets and a set of maroon pillows—or whatever the Wraith equivalents were called. There was a small table in one corner and two chairs tucked beneath it, and a large couch with a coffee table along the back wall perpendicular to the doorway.
Jennifer strolled slowly around the room, her gaze examining yet another feature that caught her attention more than the others.
"Books?" she inquired, her head tilting slightly to one side as she looked at Todd. He inclined his head and she reached for one of the volumes on the massive shelf. When she opened it, however, her heart sank. She closed it and put it back on the shelf.
"Is there a problem, Doctor?" Todd asked, seeming bothered by her actions.
"I cannot read your language."
Todd grunted again, and moved past her to reach for another volume. His clawed fingers ran along the spines, seeking one in particular.
"Here..." he breathed, and held the book out to her on his palm. "This will help." With that, the Wraith commander turned away from her and made to leave the room. Before he exited through the doorway, however, he paused and called over his shoulder. "We will begin work on the remaining sample after the night has passed."