Ace In The Hole
Chapter 39
"Avalon is leaving for Earth in two days, Earth is on the verge of Full Disclosure and where do I find you three" Elizabeth grins as McKaye, Zelenka and Cairns look up at her guiltily.
"We were just bouncing a few idea's back and forth..." Rodney smiles innocently "Shouldn't you be buffing your spires or something"
"You're sense of humour has improved I see" Elizabeth smiles causing the two scientists either side of him to grin "What are you up to?"
Rodney sighs and turns the laptop around towards her "Destiny... the ship was built Aeon's ago and..."
"I know what Destiny is Rodney..." Elizabeth rolls her eyes.
"We were trying to find some sort of design schematics" Zelenka says honestly.
"Why?"
"The people on board..."
"What?" Elizabeth asks confused.
"We have people on the ship... in suspended animation for the time being..." Cairns adds looking confused.
"Wait" Rodney says frowning "You know about the ship but not that Earth has people trapped there?"
"No" she sighs "I didn't" Elizabeth turns around and walks out of the room leaving the three confused scientists to their work.
"Alex!" Elizabeth growls upon finding him in the mess hall "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm sorry... I didn't tell you because..." he sighs "They have to figure these things out on their own... we are here to guide them not drag them along kicking and screaming" he tries to make light but Elizabeth's glare makes him gulp nervously which upon reflection is ironic as he is millions of years older.
"Did you think I wouldn't find out about the people trapped there?" She shakes her head "Are there other things you held back?" A guilty look flashes across his face.
"No... it's just I knew what you would ask of me..."
"You designed Destiny... didn't you?" She smiles at seeing a flash of pride flicker across his handsome features.
"Yes... as well you know... our minds are linked now" he roles his eyes.
"That was something else you failed to warn me about" She smiles tenderly.
"I was afraid you would not go through with the bond..." He answers honestly "Ten Thousand years is a long time to be alone... after having family with me all the time... being alone was..."
"So this" she waves her finger between the two of them "This thing between us will continue to grow?"
"Yes... it was never intentional and to be honest no one was sure how it works or how it came to be... I theorised it was some sort of neural feedback attenuating the..." he glances at her slightly glazed expression before smiling "I've totally lost you haven't I?" Elizabeth just nods and grins.
"Telepathy?"
"For want of a better term" He nods and she just nods understandingly.
"You have to help them though" She sighs causing Alex to groan "Alex I know you must have an idea on how to do it..."
"And if I did it would open up even more of the universe to your world" He sighs.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"It is when all you're world seems to do is to try to right every galaxies wrongs... one world cannot be responsible for a whole galaxy let alone dozens or hundreds of them... even my people knew better than to try to do that."
"It doesn't hurt to try" She grins causing him to look shocked.
"That's just the thing... I have no doubt in my mind that that is what you're people would do" he shakes his head smiling "What have my people created?"
"I'd like to think they made... children that they could be proud of" She grins at his beaming smile.
"We need to figure out... yes I see!" Rodney slaps Zelenka's hand away with a glare.
"You can be so childish you know Rodney" Zalenka says rubbing the back of his hand.
"Ahem!" Cairns says with a grin.
"That would be enough too help them gate back... we know that already... but what about the ship?" Gripes Rodney.
"I thought getting the crew safely back was the priority?" Cairns glares at McKaye.
"The ship has so much data on board... its been flying though galaxy after galaxy powered by the stars... come on a ship powered by the stars... capable of entering a star I'm not sure even the city could manage that one..." The three scientists go contemplatively quiet all of a sudden.
"No... I couldn't" Alex says from the doorway, the three scientists jump slightly before proceeding to look at him open mouthed but Cairns being the only one in the dark frowns in confusion.
"You! couldn't?" he looks at Alex then at Rodney and Zelenka
"The other's will explain later Doctor" Alex blushes slightly trying not to look into the young scientists eyes "Rodney you get this as a one off... no more... and you do the rest of the work yourselves" Rodney just nods enthusiastically as Alex hands him a pad slowly but he frowns when he fails to let go of it. "I mean it... this is a one time deal" he sighs releases the pad and leaves quietly.
"What the hell was that about?" Cairns glares at Rodney and Zelenka "What am I missing?" Zelenka smiles weakly and nudges Rodney to explain, Rodney just glares back at Zalenka before sighing loudly.
"Fine... The young Lieutenant that you seem to have the hots for" Cairns blushes furiously "Well... he's basically the city... Zalenka?" Rodney doesn't even bother to try to explain any further he just starts exploring the information on the tablet.
"Alex is the cities Avatar... he is basically Atlantis herself" Zelenka says gently letting Cairns wrap his head around it slowly.
"Herself?... but he's" Cairns blushes once more.
"The Ancients were a bunch of prude's you really surprised that they would make him male?" McKaye gripes "If it had been me I would have had a big busted, sexy, blonde with..." Zalenka just shakes his head.
"So he's... oh god!... wow... and now I'm even more confused... wait what about..."
"Avalon?" Rodney says glancing at him "Elizabeth" he merely nods once more studying the data pad.
"OK... again wow... so he's human like she is?" Cairns is nodding expectantly but he just frowns when he sees Rodney and Zelenka shake their head.
"No he's..." Rodney get distracted by the pad.
"Lantian?"
"No... he's Alteran..." Zalenka smiles broadly upon seeing Cairns eyes widen.
"Amelius... heard of him?" Rodney grins at the shocked look in front of him.
"Theee! Amelius" Rodney nods knowing full well the thoughts racing through the young British scientists head.
"But he built..."
"Destiny" Rodney grins handing the pad to Cairns
"And he just gave us her complete blueprints" Rodney sighs with a smile.
"You've done the right thing you know" Elizabeth says as he comes to stand next to her on the balcony, as the last rays of sunlight are glistening upon Atlantis' towers across the sea in the distance.
"It will still take them time to figure it all out" he says with an almost thankful sigh.
"At least now they have a chance to get them and the ship home, it's in a bad way according to the reports" Elizabeth glances at him.
"After 5 million years look as good you will not" Alex grins. "Wait... was that Star Wars?... let me guess... Ronon?"
"He forced me watch them..." Alex smiles innocently.
"I'm surprised Rodney hasn't got the plans to a ship or two worked out already" Elizabeth smirks.
"He mumbled something about Lucas having lawyers from hell and decided against the idea" Alex shrugs his shoulders then turns to face her, she frowns slightly turning towards him.
"What is it?"
"I don't really want you to go... I know you have to... Earth needs you but..." he sighs looking downbeat.
"The SGC can't stay in Colorado... we would have it under siege from every news organisation and nut job world wide" Elizabeth places her hand on his shoulder tenderly. "I'm needed there right now... just the same as you are needed here"
"Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it" Alex pouts.
"Besides you have your team and your friends and then there's Davi..." She stops at his glare "I can see into you just as you can see into me" She says tenderly.
"Funny... you know in all my life as an Alteran I never got around to..." he blushes slightly "I was a Scientist... married to my job until the day I... well..."
"Died?" She tries to make it sound a joke but neither of them thought of it that way.
"Now that was strange... watching... my self die... the physical me... I was 347 though good age back then" he nods.
"Been there done that" Elizabeth smiles a bitter sweet smile.
"Of course... sorry... what Oberoth did was inexcusable" Alex shudders "Forcing you to be the one to kill your physical self my people made a lot of mistakes... he was a big one"
"The idea behind it was a noble one... Niam and the others were at least trying to change" Elizabeth says surprising herself at her willingness to defend them after what they had put her and her people through.
"Noble or not instilling so much aggression into them was a mistake... a costly one at that"
"Its our mistakes as much as our successes that have led us here" Elizabeth smiles.
"Please stop that... such wisdom from a human... its just not normal" he chuckles seeing Elizabeth roll her eyes, but before either has a chance to continue they both glance across the ocean towards Atlantis in the distance both sensing the gate activating.
"Welcome to Atlantis" Sheppard bows his head respectfully to the three figures that have just stepped through the gate.
"Colonel Sheppard" Lt. Colonel Paul Davies steps forward and offers him a crisp salute that Sheppard respectfully returns "May I introduce you to Malek and Anise of the Tok'ra"
"It's an honour to meet you... this is Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagan natives of Pegasus galaxy and members of my team" the two Tok'ra nod politely but say nothing "And these are our medical officers Dr Beckett and Dr Keller" Teyla frowns looking at both Sheppard and Jennifer.
"Two Dr McKayes was causing havoc on the com system" Jennifer says quietly to answer Teyla's unasked question.
"If you would like a tour of the city..." Sheppard says trying to engage the two quiet people stood in front of him, Malek bows his head momentarily and as he raises it to speak his eyes are glowing, Sheppard senses Ronon has tensed and he just glances at him to stand down as the symbiote finally speaks.
"A tour of the city can wait... if you don't mind Colonel we would like to know why you have summoned us here?"
Sheppard glances at Davies who just shrugs.
"Has Genera... sorry Supreme..." Sheppard sighs "What are we calling him now?" Sheppard looks at Davies who just smiles knowingly, "Scott is one of the favourites at the moment" Davies nods.
"Scott?" Sheppard just grimaces trying to work it out.
"Supreme Commander Of The Tauri... S.C.O.T.T." Davies grins now ignoring the glares the two Tok'ra are giving them as they talk between themselves.
"It goes from bad to worse... I mean really... Scott O'Neill" Everyone there grimaces at the idea.
"Primus Tauri is Jacksons favourite" Davies finally says with a grin.
"First of the First World..." Anise says suddenly gaining everyone's attention when she speaks in her ordinary human voice. "Greetings... I am Freya" she says holding out her hand, "You must forgive Malek, sometimes he comes off a little blunt I'm afraid" she smiles sweetly as Sheppard takes her hand.
"I'm sorry... we thought... well I thought that Primus?" he glances at Davies who just nods "O'Neill... OK...that's just weird" Anise merely smiles "I thought that he would have outlined our request before he sent you here"
Both Anise and Malek both shake their head knowingly, both had already had previous dealing with O'Neill both knew full well just how infuriating he could be, his willingness to wind people up was legendary and he had manipulated many Goa'uld's downfalls using the tactic, Ba'al and Anubis' included.
"We would like your permission to use Tokra tunnelling crystal's to provide safe hiding places for the natives of this galaxy" Sheppard says coming right to the point with a smile.