I'm ranting at the bottom, as per usual.
Still not owning any Stargates /cry.
Chapter 3 Part 3
"Alantea"
John had discussed the possibility of gene therapy with Otho. Revealing the fact that there was a possibility to make at least half of the villages population able to use the chair themselves.
Beckett had been called in to give the Lord Protector thorough examination. Unfortunately he revealed the fact that he had been poisoned over a long period of time. Probably through ingestion. There was nothing Carson could do to reverse the effects of the poison.
Sheppard took the news to Otho.
In the meantime Ronon had managed to stir up some trouble in the village. By standing up for Eldreds daughter when she was assaulted he had beaten some guards to the ground. But the worst part was one of them had been wounded, blood had been drawn.
Warning Sheppard of the situation Tayla then proceeded to try and rally the village. What was done was done, now they could only do the best of it. They had no choice but to defend themselves, so she did her best to instill some courage in the villagers.
McKay had ventured to the structures below grounds again. Together with Baldric he had found the storage for the drones. It proved that the Lantean ship held an ample storage of the explosive weapons. However, disturbing the power level had caused the structure to shake. Parts of the corridors had caved in and obstructed their way out. Now he was left trying to find another a way of contacting the others.
But back to the Chamberlain...
"This is terrible." Otho shook his head and paced around the study. It was a room filled with bookshelves littered with scrolls. Brightly lit it was a room well placed after the suns hours of light. "I knew Tavius was cruel and vindictive, but to want to murder his own father?"
"It isn't an uncommon solution in your form of society." Vera followed the pacing man with her eyes. He stopped and looked over at her.
"The key is we don't let him succeed the throne." Sheppard cut in and received his attention. "We need to talk to the lord protector."
"I'm afraid it is already too late." His eyes shifted between the three from Atlantis. "I received word only a few moments ago. He is dead."
John broke eyecontact with the Chamberlain to ponder the situation. Vera's and Beckett's gaze turned to him. Wondering what should be done next.
"You must leave, now." Otho urged. "Tavius will arrest Mara and anyone he consider was conspiring with her. He will most likely force you into marriage." He warned Vera.
"I would like to see him try." Her voice was calm, but the threat was still there.
"What about the villagers?" Beckett cut in with a worried voice.
"He'll kill them all. Burn the place to the ground to make an example out of them." Otho started pacing again, as if he couldn't stand the thought himself. Vera followed his movements closely and John looked at her. She knew something, he was sure. Something he had missed.
"But they had nothing to do with what happened!" The doctor exclaimed in a feeble attempt to hold the villagers in defense.
"It doesn't matter. Any defiance must be crushed without mercy." He had stopped in front of the doctor. Peering into his eyes. "To keep it from spreading to the other villages."
"Look." Beckett said, reaching inside his vest and pulled out a smooth steel container the seize of a lipstick. "This is the gene therapy we're talking about. You can take it to the people and tell them what it means." He handed over the container to Otho. Vera clenched her jaws in disagreement, but said nothing.
"You don't have to be slaves for the royal bloodline anymore." John said with enthusiasm, even though he had noted the woman's disagreement.
"Still this may be too late. Tavius will consider this to be treason." He held up the container, shaking it in his worry. "He'll fight it. More so if he can capture the lady." Again a glance over at Vera. "And if the soldiers support him-"
The sound of distant bells interrupted him.
"We have run out of time." Vera stated, Sheppard and Beckett had a look of confusion on them.
"What?" John asked.
"News of the Lord Protectors death is spreading. The court has been called to assemble in the throne room. Go now, before its too late." He urged the three of them.
"Colonel." Carson laid his arm on Sheppard's to get them going out of the room. Vera followed the two men but stopped to glance at the chamberlain. He stood still, raising the container to take a good look at it. She left, hurrying to catch up with the other two. John glanced back at her as she joined them.
"You didn't want us to give him the gene therapy." It was a statement, not a question.
"No." She admitted.
"What, why?" Beckett stopped in his surprise.
"In this form of society that gene equals absolute power. You just handed that over to him in the blink of an eye."
"You think he's in on this?" John asked.
"I believe there is as possibility."
"Well what do we do now?" Beckett asked, and looked around nervously.
"Mara." John said. "She might be in danger."
"She might be a pawn in this aswell. Or more than that."
"I don't think so. You saw her at the dinner table. She's too innocent. Beckett you head back to the village. Vera-"
"I'll help you look for her." She stated. Not entirely satisfied with his decision, but not opposing it either.
"Alright, let's go."
Beckett continued down the hall while John and Vera headed off to the left. It wasn't long until the two of them turned down a corridor where Mara turned to meet them.
"John!" She called in surprise and half ran to meet with him, barely even registering Vera's existence.
"Mara!"
"What are you still doing here? You have to leave, now!"
"I know, I-" He stammered on his intentions remembering that Vera was still there.
"We came to guarantee you your safety." She filled in.
"Come with us Mara. If you stay here you'll- We can find you a safe place."
"John..." She took a step closer and raised a hand to place on his cheek. "You really would've taken me with you, wouldn't you?"
"Of course! Wait... would?"
"It won't be necessary." Otho's voice suddenly came from behind them. Vera slowly turned and circled over from John's side to Mara's. "Mara is perfectly safe now. Tavius has been arrested for the murder of the Lord Protector."
"That's good news." John smiled in relief, glancing back at the woman in question. Otho smiled with him and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Colonel." Vera whispered with a hard voice as she took a step backwards. As subtle as possible motioning for him to do the same. He gave her a questioning look.
"You really should have left when you had the chance." Otho stepped away, taking his hand from Sheppard's shoulder. Two guards stepped out, hidden behind corners. Two other guards stepped out behind Mara and Vera. But the ancient wouldn't allow herself to be arrested so easily.
When the guard reached for her arm she took hold of his wrist, twisted it and with a whirl she relieved him of the knife in his belt and held it close to his throat.
"Sheppard!" She called to him, urging him to defend himself.
But the man remained where he stood, clearly confused by the situation.
"What the hell is going on?" He called out.
"I'm so sorry John." Mara held a sad expression as she backed away from him.
"You were a lot more dangerous than I had expected." Otho admitted, looking at Vera with the captured guard in front of her. "But if you want your friend to live, I suggest you allow yourself to be arrested."
A guard stepped in from behind him, holding Dr Beckett not much unlike Vera was holding the guard.
"Vera.." Sheppard had to urge her before she, reluctantly, let go of the knife and the guard.
"Good." Otho nodded, satisfied. "I was prepared to let you all walk away. Until you colleagues in the village forced my hand. They're inciting an uprising and as the new Lord Protector... that is something we cannot have."
They were escorted to a prison cell, of sorts. It looked more like an ordinary room sealed off with bars. It was decorated nicely with some furniture, some drapes and well lit. It made John wonder what kind of prisoners these people usually held. Or what they did with the real criminals.
The three of them were roughly shoved into the cell. Not even the woman was treated with kindness anymore. She and Beckett fell to the ground while John barely managed to avoid falling by jogging onwards into the cell.
"Wait outside." Otho's orders was met with comply without question. It seemed the muscle of the land was already in his hands.
"I'll have your head for this, chamberlain."
They weren't alone in there. Tavius was lying sprawled on a sofa, hands behind his head as if the situation was of no danger to him.
"You are in no position to make threats." Otho mused.
"Is it really necessary to insult me further by imprisoning me with these people?" He asked, eyeing John and Carson.
"We are not entirely delighted by the situation ourselves." Vera brushed off the dirt from her white clothing.
"My lady!" Tavius rose. "I didn't see-"
"Come closer and I will hurt you again."
"Ah." The redhead lowered his raised hand, disappointed.
"At least we're not murderers." Dr Beckett motioned towards the prince.
"True." He acknowledged. "There is only one murderer in this room. Isn't that right.." He turned towards the chamberlain. "Otho?"
The man smiled.
"So.. She was right?" The doctor asked.
"Figured it out did you?" Otho gave her a slight wry smile.
"I saw the possibility."
"I suppose he blamed the murder on me. Do I look like the sort of person who know anything about poisons and chemicals?" Tavius asked, throwing out his arms in a questioning gesture. "Otho, on the other hand, is always making elaborate studies of things. Topics you and I might find boring, but which sometimes can turn out to be quite useful."
"I had no choice." Otho defended himself. "I offered to guarantee him the succession. In return he would spare Mara's life."
"Ah! But you're leaving out the best part. Once I assumed the throne, Mara was to be given to him as his wife. All she had to do was bat her eyes at him a few times and the fool was hooked."
Otho proceeded to slap him hard across the cheek.
"No doubt the prince would have had a short reign on the throne." Vera added. "With Tavius dead Mara would succeed, and you would have the rule through her."
"Huh. I never though of that." Tavius stated.
"It's true we were to be married." Otho confirmed, but said nothing of the woman's further speculation. "And so we will. Only now she wont be marrying a lowly servant, but the Lord Protector himself." With a satisfied smile he left and the guards closed the bars.
"I really need to stop making house calls." Dr Beckett sighed.
Not long thereafter two guards approached the cell with Mara in train. One of them pulls up a set of keys and opens the door for her. When the princess had stepped inside she ordered the guards to leave her alone with the prisoners. The both of them complied, but not without hesitation.
"I'm truly sorry John." She seemed to mean it, her eyes only set on him, even when her brother mocked her.
"Oh don't play the sweet little innocent here."
Clearly there was more to this woman than she ever let on.
"I never meant for you to get hurt." She continued.
"Then help us get out of here!" Sheppard argued impatiently.
"I can't, but I may be able to convince Otho to spare your lives."
"That would be a good start..."
Mara took a quick glance back at the guards, checking if they were watching. Busy with their own conversation she deemed it safe enough to take the risk.
"In the meantime I did bring you this." She reached inside the folds of her clothes and revealed Sheppard's radio. He quickly snatched if from her hands, also taking a look at the guards. "You must tell your friends to leave before it's too late. To demonstrate his legitimacy and power as the Lord Protector, his first act will be to destroy the village using the Throne chair. So that no other villages will rise against him."
Sheppard carefully checked that the guards was still busy before he tuned in the right frequency and held down the button. "Rodney, Come in."
"Sheppard! Are you alright?" The man had only just gotten off the radio with Teyla and Ronon. Taking the risk to release a manually launched drone straight into the roof of the room to clear a hole for radio contact.
"I'm fine." As fine as you can be in a prison cell, he thought and looked about the room. "Listen, I need you to pull the ZePM and cut the power right away or Ronon and Teyla are dead."
"I already know all that." McKay's voice crackled over the radio. "Look, unfortunately I'm cut off from the ZedPM."
"There's gotta be something you can do."
"Yeah I'm working on it!" Impatience and stress all mixed together in his voice.
"Well work faste-" Sheppard's voice trailed off at the end. Vera stood in front of him, holding out her hand.
"Sheppard?" McKay's voice came from the radio.
"Allow me." The woman said and he handed over the radio to her. Pulling up the radio to her mouth she pressed the talk button. "Dr McKay."
"Vera?"
"Yes. According to my previous readings the... ZedPM should be next to depleted." She trailed on the name of the energy source. Still not understanding why they had two different names on it.
"Yes!" He called after a moment. "If I can access enough systems it might drain it completely."
"That wont be necessary."
"It wont?"
"Where in the ship are you?"
"Auxiliary control room."
"Good, you should be able to access the engines from there. Otho should not be experienced enough to shut them down from the chair if you activate them."
"Engines?" He sounded surprised. "You want me to fly the city right out of the ground?"
"No." She said patiently. "Igniting the engines should drain the ZedPM within a couple of minutes."
"Oh, yeah you're right. That should work. There's just this one problem.."
"What is it?"
"This place is pretty unstable. If I fire up the engines the vibrations alone could cause the whole thing to come down on us."
Vera looked up to meet John's eyes.
"That is a decision I can't make with the limited intel I have." She told him, indicating that he was still the leader here.
John took the radio from her. Raising it to his mouth he hesitated a short moment before he made the decision.
"That's a risk we're going to have to take."
A few minutes later the radio crackles with McKay's voice saying "Here goes nothing. Firing up main engines."
With a low rumble the room began to shake. Mara's eyes flew around the room in confusion. The two guards came running. All it took what a short glance of understanding between John and Vera and they effectively took out one guard each.
"Let's go!" John shouted while he started towards the corridors. The others was close behind him.
"What about him?" Dr Beckett asked with a look at Tavius.
Sheppard being too busy to deal with it just shouted "Forget about him!" Before continuing towards the Throne room. Beckett stopped to swing the bars to the prison shut.
"Sorry, wee man." He slightly grinned and ran after the group. Tavius was left clutching the bars with a highly disappointed look.
The chair had just failed the former chamberlain as the Atlantis team came running into the room. The nobles was watching them, taking half a step back in the insecurity of the whole situation. Otho stood up from the chair,, immediately accusing them.
"You! This is your doing! Seize them!" He gestured with his hands for the guards to obey.
"You're only Lord Protector if you can control the chair!" Sheppard reasoned, holding his hands raised as if to say 'Just hold on a minute' to the guards. "You said it yourself."
"You tried to force your way to the chair." Vera quickly picked up the line of reasoning. "Now the chair has rejected you."
There was a light of panic in Otho's eyes. Even if he now knew why the chair worked, no one else of the nobles did. John turned to them.
"It's over. You don't have to bow down to this man, Tavius or anyone else anymore!"
"John!" Mara called out a warning.
Otho had pulled out a long thin dagger and presumed to attack him. Sheppard jumped to the side to avoid the blow and hopped backwards from the second lunge. They half circled each other, Otho careful not to step too close to the woman he had seen take on a guard so easily. As his concentration shifted back and fort John took advantage of it. He stepped closer, took hold of Otho's hand and pried the handle out of his grip. The blade made a long shallow cut across Otho's palm. A cut otherwise harmless.
"T-Tavius was right about one thing." He stammered and looked down at the wound. "I do have a fair knowledge of poisons." He fought the effects, but the poison soon defeated him. The man slumped to the floor, his legs failing him. His life soon left with his final breath.
John quickly fished out the radio to contact Ronon and Teyla. Vera laid a hand on Beckett's shoulder to get his attention.
"I will go and find Dr McKay."
"Oh, alright." He nodded and she turned to walk away. John turned to him after he had been reassured by Teyla that she, Ronon and the villagers were safe.
"Where's Vera?"
"She went to get Rodney."
"But... isn't he trapped underground?"
Before heading to the 'catacombs' Vera had swung by John's room to pick up a flashlight from his backpack. She knew her way around here well, which was why she wanted to do this alone. The plan wasn't to head directly to the auxiliary room. Whenever a door stood in her way she pulled of the top cover of the panel, pulled out the lower crystal, turned it and inserted it again. The doors wheezed open but didn't close again. Even though the main power source was depleted there were still some energy reserves that ensured that the doors could be opened, as well as the emergency lights were on. She walked along the dark corridors for about 30 minutes before she arrived at the room she was heading to. Doing the same maneuver again the doors opened and she frowned about it. They shouldn't swing open that easily. Normally this door would have had a higher security clearance, leaving it more difficult to open even without a proper power source. Stepping into the room the echoing didn't bode well. Aiming the flashlight from one corner to the other of the great hall told her it was empty. An empty hangar. Her heart sank further. There was a weak hint of tears in the corners of her eyes. Long time ago, when she had first landed the ship, this hangar had been filled with ships. Not the kind the earthlings had named 'Puddle Jumpers', a name she had trouble settling with. But real military class ships. A smaller fighter meat to be used in battle. Their main assets being speed, weaponry and shield. Now they were all gone. Gone. Such ships would have been a great asset to Atlantis in this time. At war with the Wraith these missing ships would easily had gone on par with their Darts. Of why this hangar was empty she could only guess. No matter the reason why, it was a sadness to her.
Lowering the flashlight she retraced her steps and walked out of the room, continuing towards the auxiliary room.
Another 20 minutes and she arrived at the room, the door hissed open at the far side of the room, she entered and called.
"Dr McKay?"
"Vera?" His attention diverted to a dark side of the room, now lit up by a flashlight. "There was a door over there?!"
"The doors between this room and the sections that lie above ground has been opened. The path is cleared."
About an hour later the group were leaving towards the village. The woman stopped and turned towards the ship. Giving it a long silent look.
"Did you forget something?" John asked.
"No." She answered, looking up at the last standing spire. "I left it a long time ago." She whispered to herself.
Back at Atlantis later that night Vera found herself tossing and turning in her bed, waking up with pearls of sweat on her brow. Her breathing was quickened and her dreams had been haunted by nightmares. Dark shadows chasing her through bright corridors. Shaking her head she got up and took a shower. Dressing herself in a long black dress with a silver embroidery of stars around her waist she silently headed towards the balcony outside the gateroom. The posted guards only acknowledged her presence. The two scientists hovering over computers at the gate controls didn't even lift their heads. Looking up at the stars Vera laid her hands gently on the railing. It wasn't by much, but the position of the stars had changed somewhat. It was a habit of hers, getting her bearings by reading the position of the stars. With the technology they had it most certainly wasn't needed. But the starry sky was never any less beautiful to watch.
"Hey." She hard Dr Weirs soft voice behind her. She turned and nodded towards her as greeting. "Trouble sleeping?"
"It's a side effect of the stasis. Long periods spent in such cryo stasis will disrupt the sleep."
"I'm sure Dr Beckett would be glad to help you. At least try."
"It's alright Dr Weir. I'm used to it. Though I have never been in stasis for quite so long time before."
A silence settled between them. It had been a week since she stepped out of that pod. Yet she hadn't really become a part of the crew. Partially because she kept to herself, partially because the others regarded her as some heightened being, almost a religious relic. Here stood one of the Living Breathing Ancients.
"I heard you traded with the people at the tower."
"Yes, we managed to replenish out stock of drones, even got a few jumpers out of the deal. In exchange we gave them medical supplies and an IDC in case they need to contact us."
"The ships." She said, her interested piqued. "Have you started to retrofit them?"
"No not yet." Weir was slightly startled by the question. "We've barely dusted them off. Their power sources was drained so we had to exchange them on site. Without the hangar doors opening as they should it's a tricky business getting them out."
"Could I persuade you to let me have one without any changes made to it?"
"You'd... like your own?"
"I'm a pilot at heart Dr Weir. Atlantis cannot be moved for the time being. But I would very much enjoy the possibility to take flight."
"Alright. I think we can set one aside for you."
"I would much appreciate it."
"John told me that you were the one that sat the ship down where you found it on the planet?"
"That is correct. Though it was a long time ago. I didn't expect it to be there any longer."
"Did you serve on that ship then?"
"I did."
"As a pilot?"
"Yes."
The answer could be considered evasive at best. Elisabeth still didn't know much about this person. What her role had been at Atlantis, what had been her position in Lantean society? How much did she know about the Wraith? Not many questions had been answered.
"More than just a pilot?" She asked but regretted it almost as soon. "No never mind. I don't want to force you to lie to me unnecessary."
Vera was genuinely surprised when Weir took back her question. A smile crossed her lips as a wind came from the ocean. A cool breeze moving past them.
"You and your people are very different to the ones I am used to working with, Dr Weir."
"Oh?"
"Yes, it's a... welcomed change." There was a moment of silent confirmation between the two women. Vera decided Dr Weir had earned a sliver of information. "Alantea." She said, pronouncing the name as so: Alan-te-a. "The name of the ship is-was Alantea. It was built simultaneously as Atlantis, side by side. The outside structure is-was identical, the inside only a few differences. However the purpose of the two ships differed."
"How so?" Not only curious of the answer, she was glad that the woman was actually talking with her.
"Atlantis has always been a civilian ship. Built to house the council. A place for study, science, politics, life. It specialized in defense, a stronger shield, ships you call jumpers that was meant for exploration and travel. Alantea, on the other hand, was built to protect. A Warship. Crewed by soldiers, carrying fighters, an extensive supply of drones. Now... She's dead."
"Dead? What do you mean?"
Vera shifted her position and looked out over the ocean. Remembering the text that had slid in front of her eyes as she had accessed a panel in the dark.
"Everything has been erased from her computers. Inventory lists, crew lists, command codes, idc, everything. Even her name. Only basic systems was operational, Long and short ranged scanners, drone control, shield... Life support was disabled as well. I believe Alantea was abandoned, and I have no idea why."
"So it was an important ship to you people?"
"Very."
What she left out was that the ship had been very important to her. That once she had been the commanding officer of the ship. To see it this hollow, reset to nothing. It had been painful.
All that was left now was Atlantis.
She was prepared to do anything to keep it safe.
Authors Rant:
Soooo, this ended up a lot longer than I planned o,o
But it also got out a lot quicker than I thought! Must have been that lovely review I received, I read it a millions times :D
Well, starting next week I have actually asked my boss to reduce my working hours with 4 hours each week, that's how much I have to get done. Time just isn't enough. But it might be one of the best decisions I've made in a long time. A little less money, a lot less stress in my everyday life.
I have an idea for the next chapter (I think I said so before) but there are a lot of kinks to work out. Just ponder the fact that I haven't even set a word on paper yet D:
And the creepy holiday times are coming up aswell.
Well, feel free to tell me whatever you want in a review or pm. It gets me going!
Peace out.