Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.
Chapter 5: New Mission
Dr. Weir stepped into one of two labs that they had at Atlantis. This particular lab was more for studying texts or writings photographed from stone than trying to discover how an alien device worked.
Papers, books and several laptops were scattered on the four desks in the room so that it looked as though it was an undergraduate's lab. She wasn't surprised to see Dr. Lucy Taylor standing next to McKay with a magnifying glass studying pictures of an ancient writing that Colonel Sheppard and his team. She also wasn't surprised that Dr. Taylor was arguing with Dr. McKay. It was quite interesting to watch especially since Dr. Taylor towered over McKay by about three inches.
Dr. Weir stepped up to the table and had to clear her throat three times before McKay noticed she was standing there.
"Ah, hello Dr. Weir, what can I do for you?"
"You asked me to come here," Dr. Weir said pointedly, wondering why Dr. McKay wasn't acting like himself.
"Oh, yes. Yes of course," Dr. McKay said as he ran a hand through his hair.
"I assume that this has to do with the writing in the cave."
"Yes, yes it does."
"Dr. McKay, have you translated the Ancient writing found in the cave?"
Dr. McKay shuffled several photographs of the cave before he answered. "Well, actually, no."
"What do you mean?" Dr. Weir asked as she waited for Dr. McKay to work through his ego.
Dr. McKay sighed and looked at Dr. Weir feeling as though he had just blown up a lab.
"Well, it's gibberish."
"Gibberish?" Dr. Weir asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It is not gibberish, Dr. Weir. It's in code," Dr. Taylor said as she gave McKay an arrogant look as she flipped her red hair over her shoulder in irritation, even though it fell back towards her face since her hair didn't quite reach her shoulders.
"Do know how to solve the code?"
"Well, this kind of code is solved using a cipher. There is one word that will solve it."
"It is not a code. It is just gibberish."
"Listen Dr. McKay, I spent two years at Quantico studying how to break codes. I then spent four years with the Stargate program translating alien languages. I know the difference between a code and just some gibberish."
"Wow, two years and another four. You certainly wasted all those years playing around with words and numbers."
Dr. Weir cleared her throat to get the two doctors to return their attention back to her and to the conversation. "You think the cipher is in the cave?"
"They didn't exactly spend a lot of time looking at the cave, so something there must give us the key to solving the text," Dr. Taylor answered.
"So, now we have to go back to the cave and find the cipher."
"You want to return to a planet that has hostile creatures?" Dr. Taylor asked wondering if Dr. McKay was more than a whiny cricket.
"Well, I really don't want to go back but I really don't see a choice especially since Sheppard is so hung up on the girl. Oh, I'm sorry, Sky, that he would probably return to that planet and get the information himself."
"It may be best that we gather as much information about this girl. Perhaps this will also tell us why she was in an Ancient stasis chamber," Dr. Taylor said.
McKay shrugged. "She probably went into it by accident."
Dr. Weir didn't believe that Sky had gone into the stasis chamber by accident. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that Sky had been important to the Ancients for some reason.
"We'll gather the team together and tell them the new mission."
McKay's mouth hung open as he tried to talk so he could get Dr. Weir to change her mind. Dr. Weir was glad that McKay was speechless for once.
Sheppard, McKay, Teyla and Ronon were standing before Dr. Weir who was sitting at her desk. Of course, Dr. Weir's office was so organized that it looked as though the office had never been used. Dr. Weir had broken the news about the new mission to the team, except of McKay of course who had learned about it earlier.
"You wish for us to return to that planet?" Teyla asked wondering what was going on with Dr. Weir. Teyla hadn't been surprised that Dr. Weir had called the team together, but what she hadn't expected was the news of a new mission.
Dr. Weir looked at Sheppard and wondered what the Colonel was thinking. She returned her attention to Teyla. "Yes, it the only way to know for certain what has been done to Sky."
"Maybe she should come with us. She was able to take care of those creatures." Sheppard wasn't surprised at the shocked looks being shot in his direction.
"She is a warrior, there is no doubt that she can take care of herself. Besides, she may know something about those caves that we don't," Ronon said getting dark looks sent to him by Dr. McKay and Teyla.
McKay looked at Dr. Weir, wondering if she had also been affected by whatever had Ronon on Sky's side. "Yeah, sure, let's ask her. Wait I forgot, she doesn't talk!"
"She may not be able to talk, McKay, but she does seem to understand what we say," Ronon said with sincerity. As he had watched Sky and Sheppard, he had noticed that Sky would do as Sheppard asked without any hesitation. Ronon had wondered whether Sky had been playing some sort of game with them, but when he had looked into her eyes, he just knew that she wasn't trying to trick them.
Dr. McKay wondered if Ronon and Sheppard had been taken over by aliens or had been affected by some kind of mind control substance.
"If you take her with her, are you certain she wouldn't harm any members of your team?" Dr. Weir asked.
"I told you before that she won't hurt Teyla or anyone else." Sheppard looked directly into Dr. Weir's eyes, knowing that he shouldn't look away because she wouldn't believe him if he couldn't handle her gaze.
"I seem to recall that she did," McKay said.
"Fine, she won't hurt Teyla again. Look, she stopped when I asked her to. It is obvious that she doesn't like Teyla, but I know that she won't try to hurt her again."
"You're seriously not considering having that girl go along. Right, Dr. Weir?" McKay asked wondering if everyone around him had suddenly lost their minds.
Dr. Weir sat in silence for a moment, thinking about the consequences if she decided that Sky should go with them. She sighed and looked up at the team. "Very well, but I want you all to be careful. Not just from the creatures on the planet, but from her."
McKay was about to protest when Dr. Weir held up her hand to prevent him from opening his mouth. "I've made my decision and I believe that it is the right one and I do not want to hear any complaints." Dr. Weir looked around at the team, making sure that those who were likely to disagree with her decision, would accept her decision. "I want you all to prepare to leave in 12 hours. Colonel Yates and his team are going with you to back you up. You are all dismissed."
Dr. Weir waited until the team stepped out of her office before she let out a large sigh and placed her head in her hands. She hoped that she wasn't making a mistake that could cost them not only their friendship but also their lives.
Once the team had left Dr. Weir's office, Teyla said that she had to go get ready and left the three men behind to talk about the mission.
Sheppard watched Teyla as she walked away, heading towards the direction of her quarters. He had seen the frown on Teyla's face when Dr. Weir had announced that Sky would be going with them on the mission. He wondered if he could ever convince Teyla that Sky wasn't a bad person.
"I really think this isn't a good idea. I can't believe that you want this girl to come with us." McKay received one of Ronon's dangerous looks. "This is fine, because you are an excellent judge of character. We'll definitely be safe with you around."
"Look, we'll bring our best weapons and we have Colonel Yates and his team to back us up. There is no reason to worry about those creatures. This time we know what's out there," Sheppard said as he turned the corner knowing that McKay was going to follow because the scientist wasn't finished yet.
"Yeah, sure. We know what's out there but I'm more worried about one who is going to be with us."
"So, did Dr. Taylor tell you what to look out for?" Sheppard asked hoping that he could distract McKay long enough so he would stop complaining about Sky going to the mission with them.
"Yeah, yeah. She thinks she's as good with languages as Dr. Jackson."
"If you don't recall, Dr. Jackson did recommend her for the Stargate Program and was proud that she was selected for the Atlantis Expedition since he couldn't come," Sheppard pointed out, knowing that would not impress the great Dr. McKay.
"Well, whatever. Can you believe that she actually wanted to come? I mean, she is not fit to work in the field."
"I don't know, McKay, I've seen her shoot. She can handle herself," Ronon said.
"What, no way! I mean, even if she is good at pointed a weapon and firing on a fixed target, that does not mean she can handle herself when it comes to real, dangerous situations."
"Well, McKay, I know it wouldn't be hard for her to hide behind a tree and complain about it," Ronon said trying to keep a grin from appearing on his face when McKay's ears turned red.
Sheppard would have laughed at the continuing banter between McKay and Ronon, but his mind had turned to the mission and to Sky. He was concerned on how Sky would take it returning to the cave that had been something like her grave. He wished that she could talk to him and tell him whom she was and what had happened to her. He hoped that this mission would give them all of the information that they needed to help
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