"Rodney, it's a theory –"
"It explains everything!"
"No it doesn't!" Zelenka took a deep breath and regarded McKay with stern frustration.
"She was around ancient technology for years with no adverse effects."
"But not wraith technology, look Zelenka I watched her turn an angry adult wraith into a charred skeleton."
"The jumpers do not have wraith technology!"
"Exactly! That's my whole point."
Zelenka stared at him, "You mean –"
"Come on." Rodney snapped.
The two men hurried out of the lab to the control tower and Carter.
Lorne was in the office discussing security staffing when they arrived.
"Colonel I'm sorry but this can't wait." Rodney snapped. Lorne and Carter rose and regarded Rodney calmly.
"Rodney thinks he has figured out why the puddlejumper crashed." Radek said breathlessly and adjusted his glasses.
"Rodney?"
"This is going to sound crazy but here me out. There's no reason it should have crashed, Zelenka and I both went over the wreckage and sensor logs and we both agree. There's no reason it should have gone down."
"But it did." Lorne sighed.
"Exactly! Now I'm not great flying a jumper but I'm not suicidal either so what was the main variable? The only real variable?"
"Max?" Carter asked.
"Come on McKay what did she do? Take the flight controls and ram the jumper?"
"No, I think there was Wraith tech on the jumper."
"Uhm. Why?" Lorne asked while Carter waited for ar eply.
"I don't know why but it's the only thing that makes sense. We know the wraith use biosynthetic technology similar to their own organic makeup and we also know that she fried the hell out of a wraith when it tried to feed on her. She must have touched –"
"Do you have any evidence McKay? Debris?" Carter asked.
"No but that doesn't make me wrong –"
"It doesn't make your theory correct either." Lorne said.
"I would suggest a detailed examination of all other jumpers, preferably before they are airborne with Sergeant Holloway onboard, as a precaution." Zelenka suggested.
"No, take her with you." Carter said.
"Wait, so you want me to what? Feel up a jumper?"
"Sort of, but like, all of them." Rodney tried to explain. Max stared at him for a long moment.
"You don't seem feverish."
"Look there's a chance that our jumper had some kind of concealed wraith technology onboard, if it interacted with your uh thingy –"
"Quickening Rodney, you know what it's called."
"Right uh well anyway considering it fried an actual wraith –"
"You think I touched something that what, exploded and crashed our jumper?"
"Yep."
"That's kinda nuts."
"Well it makes more sense than pilot error."
"Uh well, I've seen you fly Rodney –"
"Cute, look it shouldn't take much more than a day to complete."
"Fine. Let's go feel up the jumpers."
"You make it sound so…tawdry."
"Invite Sheppard he can flirt with the jumpers."
"Okay now it's officially weird, you made it weird!"