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 20: An Unexpected Arrival
McKay turned as soon as he heard footsteps outside the door of the Ancient's lab. He watched as the owner of the footsteps stepped into the lab in which he was a little surprised to see that it was Sheppard.
"Where are Radek and Lucy?" Sheppard asked him after his eyes scanned the lab.
"Well, Radek is looking at the Ancient Archives for any information on the so-called scientist," he replied turning away from Sheppard and back to his notes.
Sheppard put a hand over his notes so that he had to look up at the Colonel. "And Lucy's not here because you are here," Sheppard said not as a question but as a simple statement.
McKay shot a dark look in his leader's direction and was going to answer with a nasty response but Sheppard asked him a question first. "You think it will give us anything?"
"Lucy said that Sinell was in love with Ereshkigal but that it seemed as though he didn't have any control over it. She believes that he knew about this enchantment and she also has found hints that he may have left something to stop her."
"And you believe it all to be a fantasy."
"Yes! There are too many questions about this whole situation. Why and how could he have been controlled by her but was still able to leave something behind that could stop her? If such a device existed, why didn't he use it back then?" He shook his head in frustration. He hadn't slept in over thirty hours and his fear of what was being done to Elizabeth was playing in his head, repeatedly.
"Maybe Dr. Taylor's ideas will lead us to a solution to return Dr. Weir to us and to stop Ereshkigal," Sheppard said, hope in his voice, but it seemed strained.
McKay noticed by the shadows around Sheppard's eyes that he wasn't the only one who hadn't gotten much sleep but that didn't deter the logical scientist in him from destroying his friend's hope like snapping a twig in half. "It's not like we can just go through the Stargate to free Elizabeth out of wherever she is being held. We don't even know where she is because Ereshkigal has a ship so she could be anywhere."
"True, but she has to be on Tigria. That's her base of operations."
He scoffed at the idea. "Maybe. This whole thing could be a ploy to get us to leave Atlantis."
"McKay?"
"Think about it. She didn't destroy Atlantis when she has clearly threatened to do so. She takes Elizabeth, presumably to that planet with those weird creatures with cat-like eyes and our course of action would be to rescue her. You, as our military leader would be the one to lead the rescue mission. It is probably a ploy to leave Atlantis vulnerable without you."
"Wow, McKay. I never knew how much you thought of me and that you had such insight."
"Yes, well. I have useful knowledge if anyone would actually listen to me instead of following some theory based on romantic and tragic fantasy."
"McKay, just shut up and stop being such a pessimist. I'm going to go see if Radek and Lucy have any information. At least I won't have to listen to either of them whining."
"What? I am not a whiner!" He exclaimed vehemently and stood up as Sheppard walked through the doorway. "I'm coming with you."
As McKay followed him, he mumbled underneath his breath that he wasn't a whiner and that he should be appreciated a lot more. He was glad that his friend was back to himself at least temporarily since Atlantis hadn't been the same since Elizabeth's kidnapping.
Elizabeth's stomach growled and her hand reached for the food on the plate that one of the guards had placed in her cell, but she snapped her hand back. She didn't know if the food had some sort of mind control or truth telling chemical that would cause her to tell Ereshkigal the exact location of Earth.
She heard the door in the hallway and wondered what her captor had planned for her now. A flurry of images of torture devices went through her mind as she listened to the soft echo of footsteps coming towards her cell.
The door opened and the first thing she saw was a black robe and a face hidden in shadow.
"Who are you?" She asked in a whisper even though she didn't know the reason for doing so.
"I am Charage," said the figure as it stepped into the light, revealing yellow feline-shaped eyes peering from a slender face. "I am here to free you from this prison."
"Why are you going to do that?" She asked looking into his eyes and seeing a mixture of nervousness and fear.
"I have been the Keeper of the Archives for twenty years. I have awaited the return of the Eternal One since I had been chosen. Now, that she has come I believe she will not lead my people to eternal life but to death."
"You believe that Ereshkigal is going to destroy your people?" His narrow face reminded her of a Siamese cat.
"Yes," he replied with a fervent hiss. "Since I was young, I have been taught to hate ones like you who are related to the ones known as the Ancients. They taught me that the Ancients were evil and that their spawn were just as evil and would try to destroy us."
"Now, you know differently."
He frowned and glanced over his shoulder, then turned back to face her. "We do not have any more time to discuss all of this," he said as turned around.
"Follow me," he said over his shoulder.
She didn't know what to think. She didn't know if she should believe his story or not. If his story was the truth, it would lead to her freedom so she decided to take the chance.
She followed him as he turned right, walked about ten feet, passing a few more cells on either side before turning the corner where there were four more doors barely illuminated by the crystals in sconces hanging from the walls.
He walked past the doors and stood before blank wall at the end of the hall.
She heard him muttering to himself and began to wonder if this had been some sort of trick or if he was out of his mind.
"Yes, yes," he whispered as he took a crystal out of his pocket and rubbed his fingers over a few symbols engraved in the crystal. A bright light sprang from the crystal, showing more of the dust, spider webs and cracks in the stones around them.
She watched as he placed his hands on the wall, and muttered a few more times before he moved his hands from the center to the right side. He placed his right hand about five inches above his left hand and pushed.
The stone wall moved inward, without a sound. A musty scent reached her nose as she peered past Charage and into the waiting darkness.
"Come, we must hurry," Charage said as he motioned to her.
She hesitated for a second but nodded her head to him, letting him know that she was ready. He turned, the light from the crystal in his hand showing the first few steps into the passageway which angled downwards which Elizabeth hoped would lead to her freedom and not her death.
As he walked to the Ancient Archive, Sheppard's thoughts changed from what information Lucy and Radek may have uncovered about the Ancient scientist to Sky. He believed that Sky still existed somewhere inside Ereshkigal. She could have destroyed Atlantis, which she had threatened to do, but she hadn't which lead to his belief that she could be saved.
Theories of why she hadn't done so had crossed his mind. His team members had also told him several theories; usually ideas involving a more elaborate, darker reason for why she hadn't wiped them all out of existence.
He wouldn't have admitted it but the same ideas had crossed his mind as well but he still couldn't let go of the prospect that there was good in her.
A shout coming from the direction of the Ancient Archives had him out of his thought and sent him running into the room, his weapon in his hand. He could hear the footsteps of McKay staying close behind him, but he knew that the scientist would stay out of the way.
When he entered, he say Radek and Lucy standing together and looking at a tall man with long, silver hair wearing silver robes with elaborate embroidery.
The man bowed his head. "I am Sinell," he said his clear blue eyes looking around at all of them. "I am here to offer my assistance."
"Sinell?" McKay, Lucy and Radek said in unison expressions of shock on all of their faces.
Sheppard lowered his weapon but he didn't put it away. His eyes stayed trained on the man standing before them claiming to be the Ancient that had done horrific experiments on the Wraith and on Ereshkigal. He didn't know if this unexpected arrival would lead them to rescuing Elizabeth and stopping Ereshkigal or to the destruction of Atlantis and everyone within its walls.