A/N: Anyone who has seen the show will know what I'm talking about … if you haven't seen the show, disregard this note. Where the hell did they get the potatoes? Why didn't we see the planet they apparently stopped at in order to get them? The first section is my thoughts on what could have happened (o:
Chapter Ten: Justice
There were two things no one ever wanted to encounter on Destiny. One … Rush when he'd had no sleep and two … Rush when separated from his assistant. Options one and two together set everyone's teeth on edge, and there was more than one nasty look directed at the colonel for his part in bringing about what the crew termed an epic disaster.
"You're not going," Young had objected when Rush had protested the makeup of the team being sent down to the planet. "You're needed here to help Eli put together a report for Dr Williams on the data we've collected on their failed experiment."
Belle had flinched as Rush slammed both hands against his console in the neural chair interface room before pointing an angry finger at the colonel. "Belle can remain on board and help Eli with that. She doesn't need to go off world. She has no experience and isn't trained for the dangers …"
"None of the science team is trained, Rush," Young had countered. "Something you neglected to think about before you stranded us all up here, I might add. She's got to learn somehow, and she has experience recognizing plants which may be beneficial to not only our medicinals, but to the kitchen as well. She …"
"… is not going!" the doctor had snarled, squaring off against the man. "I need her here."
"Everett, please, will you give us a moment? I'll be in the gate room in twenty minutes," she had intoned, crossing her arms over her chest as she leveled him with a pointed stare. He'd quickly nodded, knowing she was the only person on the ship who would be able to get Rush to see reason whether he liked it or not.
"You're not going," he'd deadpanned the moment the door whooshed closed behind the colonel. He'd refused to meet her eyes as he'd turned back to the console, confident she wouldn't argue with a direct order from her boss.
Belle had arched a brow. "You promised I could go with the team on the next viable planet, Nicholas. Are you going back on your word?" she had asked, her questioning tone calm despite the underlying anger she felt towards his unwavering desire to refuse her.
The muscle twitched in the corner of his left eye as he continued to enter data on the program he was writing in his research on the chair. "I promised you could go with the understanding that I would be with you. I'm not letting you go off with those imbeciles who have no regard for your personal safety." He'd ducked his head lower over the console, his eyes curtained by his shaggy hair in an attempt to shield the worry there. "Young is just being a bastard."
Her features had smoothed out into a patient smile as she'd stepped closer to the console. "This planet has so many resources we can use. You've seen the readings from the Kino yourself. Medicinals, food, water and even the limestone we can store away to use later when the scrubbers need to be cleaned and refurbished. Young has assembled the largest away team yet, and I want to be a part of it."
"Lt Johansen can forage for her plants just as easily as you can," he had protested, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the console.
She had covered his hand with hers and smoothed her fingertips over his knuckles, needing the contact just as much as he did. "It's not that you don't want me to go as much as it is that you don't want me to go without you. I understand how you feel after what we saw on the Kino footage a few days ago, but you can't let your fear get in the way of the mission. We have to acquire these things. They're necessary for our survival."
"And the rest of the team can do that without you," he had snapped. He knew he was being foolish, but he couldn't seem to help himself.
Belle had thrown up her hands and growled in exasperation. "You are, by far, the most stubborn man I know, Nicholas Rush. I'm going!" she'd declared and stalked out of the room.
"Belle. Belle!" he'd called after her, but she hadn't returned.
That had been ten hours ago. In the intervening time, he'd gotten little done, unable to concentrate wholly on his work. He'd snapped and snarled at Eli as they'd put together a report for the visiting scientist. Dr Williams had been more than happy to hurry through the data in order to be out of Rush's presence, though he wasn't thrilled with the prospect of returning to his supervisors with no resolution of how to successfully dial the gate. Park had tried to work with Rush on the program he was writing and had been seen leaving the neural chair interface room in tears. Finally, Young had ordered everyone to stay away from the chair room to give Rush his space to stew in his own anger. It was an order enthusiastically obeyed by one and all.
It was also why everyone gave him a wide berth as he stalked towards the gate room with only three hours left on the countdown clock. Brody stood at the primary console, monitoring the team as they made their way back to the gate to begin sending the last of the supplies in, logging it into the ship's computer as the marines called out what they had, what would need to be analyzed and where the supplies would be stored. He took one look at Rush and scurried over to the secondary console to resume his work.
"Williams wasn't too thrilled with the data collected from this end of the experiment," Young remarked coolly as he joined Rush at the console.
"I'm sure Eli will fill in any holes during the debriefing," Rush said, staring straight ahead at the marines working to move the incoming crates away from the ramp.
"They're concerned, especially that you were able to so easily put a stop to their program when they couldn't shut it down," the colonel continued, giving the doctor a searching look.
Rush shot him a look of ill-concealed disgust. "Just what are you implying, Colonel? That I deliberately sabotaged their attempt to dial the gate?"
"Wouldn't be the first time your ambition led to something like this —"
"Next time you want to question my ambitions, Colonel, think of it this way. If I hadn't stopped that experiment, you wouldn't be here now to complain about it," he scoffed, turning to look up at the clock slowly ticking down above the door. He gained immense satisfaction in the way Young glared at him and stalked away, but it was ruined in the next moment when Greer came through the puddle carrying Belle in his arms. "Belle …"
He nimbly traversed his way through a sea of bodies moving supplies, unmindful of who got trampled in the process as he made his way to her side. If she wasn't returning to the ship under her own steam, she had to be hurt and he wanted to know who was responsible. "For fuck's sake, Franklin, move your ass!" he snarled, borrowing one of Belle's favorite expletives as the man trod on his foot. He ignored the throbbing pain and limped the rest of the way, determined to reach her. "Belle, what happened?" he asked, holding out his arms to take her from Greer.
"Oh, Nicholas, it was so amazing! I had the best time," Belle gushed, her face alight with pleasure, her cheeks flushed a deep rose - from what he could see beneath the dirt and what looked like bruises - as she wrapped her arms about his neck and kissed his cheek in greeting.
Rush ignored her words, growling, "Nevermind that. What the devil happened to you?"
TJ intervened on her friend's behalf. "She's alright, Dr Rush," the medic offered by way of explanation. "I've already bandaged her ankle and checked her for head trauma. With a few days' rest, she should be as good as new."
"She's just clumsy as hell," Greer chuckled when Rush shot him his patented death glare. "Leaned over too far and slid about twenty meters into a ravine. She's a little bruised, but this is a good thing."
"In what reality could this possibly be a good thing?" he thundered, his gaze swinging between the master sergeant and the bundle in his arms.
"Because maybe she'll listen to me next time when I tell her no, don't and stop," Greer retorted with a slight raise of his brows.
"Pfft! If it adds flavor to the … um … elk," she scoffed, trying to find an appropriate word for the animal he and Scott had killed, "you took down, you'll thank me for it."
Having had enough, Rush turned on his heel and left the gate room, Belle cradled protectively to his chest. "Never should have listened … stubborn woman … more balls than brains …" he muttered under his breath as he headed towards their quarters to fetch clean clothes for her.
Belle giggled and nuzzled her nose adoringly beneath his ear. "You think I'm ballsy?" she teased. He snorted. "Don't be upset, Nicholas. You wouldn't believe the things we were able to collect. We found the strangest looking root vegetables, but I think if we prepare them correctly, they might have the texture of carrots … well, as long as the green color doesn't put you off of them. And onions, beautiful spring onions, something that resembles sweet potatoes, leafy greens which will make a decent salad … and the fruits, Nicholas! Oh, the fruits are just to die for. There's one … it's bright red, and I think it could be a peach, but it's better than any peach I've ever tasted …"
Nicholas arched a brow, hard pressed to remain angry in the face of such abject glee as he continued his trek through the ship, listening to her expound on the team's discoveries. "Tea? You found tea leaves?" he asked, catching upon a pertinent aspect of her ramblings. Oh, if only it had been coffee beans instead, he thought petulantly.
She nodded cheerfully. "I think so. Think of it as a tea alternative, but after the leaves are put through the dehydrator and blended with some of the pits from the peaches and a few other ingredients I was able to find, I believe it will make some glorious tea," she sighed happily, her eyes closing as she imagined the flavor bursting across her palate.
Rush set her on the bed in their quarters and retrieved clean clothes from the dresser. He placed her yoga pants and one of his t-shirts on the bed next to her and knelt at her feet to inspect her ankle for himself. "Well, I'm just thrilled you enjoyed yourself, because it won't be happening again. You'll only go off world if I'm there to see to your safety," he promised with calm determination, his tone matter of fact and deathly serious. "Especially since not one of those marines could see to it to return you to the ship in the same condition you left."
Belle sat back, resting her weight on her palms as he removed the compression bandage wrapped tightly about her ankle, hissing slightly as his fingers probed along the purpling bruises. "It's not that bad," she whispered as he cradled her foot in his hands, his thumbs gently brushing against her skin. "At least I didn't break anything this time."
She held onto him as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the lavatory at the end of the hall, easing her down on the double vanity. He was angry, but she could also sense an underlying fear in him which had her feeling remorseful for putting him through so much stress. He said not a word as he set to work, removing her one remaining boot and the thick woolen sock which covered her foot, nor would he meet her eyes as he pushed the flak jacket from her shoulders and untied the knot at the back of her navy halter top, baring her to his gaze.
Rush clenched his teeth, cursing in Ancient as he took in the bruises marring her left side along her ribs and the tender flesh on the inside of her arm as if she'd thrown it up trying to grab onto something to stop her descent into the ravine. He was certain once he removed her pants she'd also have bruising along her hip and thigh. "This never would have happened if you had listened to me!"
"Hey," she crooned in low tones, "I'm ok. I'll be sore for a few days, but I'm alright." She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged, pulling him in so their lips could meet. She sighed happily when he didn't draw away from her, but let her explore his mouth with her gentle kiss. "I'm not going anywhere, Nicholas," she murmured, trying to dispel his fears, "but if it makes you happy, I won't go off world without you, unless it's absolutely necessary."
His hands fumbled uselessly at the waistband of her camouflaged trousers as he met her gaze. "Did you want me to help you shower? Seeing as you can't stand on that sprain?" he asked, waiting for her permission.
"If you like," she answered, smiling coyly up at him as her fingertips kneaded his upper arms in an attempt to soothe away the tension coiled so tightly in his muscles.
"Aye, I don't want you to fall and injure yourself further. I want to get the mud off of you and see just how badly you've damaged yourself." He gnashed his teeth as she reached for his shirt, tugging it free from the waistband of his jeans. She was hurt; he couldn't let his desire get in the way of his ability to care for her, but each little touch of her fingertips felt like fire igniting in his veins. He captured her hands in his, bringing them to his lips and kissing her palms.
Rush let her go and made quick work of his clothes, shedding them with swift, methodical movements, trying not to think of being in the shower with her. He closed his eyes as he helped her to stand and she pressed against him, her pert breasts brushing against his chest. He bit the inside of his cheek, focusing on the algorithms and equations he'd written into his program for the chair, anything to distract himself from her bare flesh sliding against his own.
Belle giggled as she shimmied out of her fatigues and knickers and wrapped her arms about his neck. "Nicholas, it's not very flattering when you do that, y'know?"
"Do what?" he asked, lifting her into his arms and carrying her into the shower stall. He set her carefully on her feet, leaving her to balance herself against him as he turned on the spray and eased her under the warm mist.
His cock stirred against her belly where it was tucked between them as her lips trailed hot open-mouthed kisses along his collarbone. "You're doing math in your head again. You only do that when you're uncomfortable. It's your safe zone." She stopped and looked up at him through heavy lids. "Do I make you uncomfortable, Nicholas?" she fairly purred, gently rolling her hips against him.
Rush whimpered and bit back a curse. "You're hurt, Belle. What kind of man would I be if I took advantage?" he asked, reaching behind him for the washcloth hanging over the stall door next to their towels. "As it is, I'm afraid to touch you for fear I'll make it worse or cause you undue pain."
Belle shook her head and brushed his wet hair away from his eyes. "You won't. I'm sure it looks much worse than it actually is." She rested her head on his shoulder as he dragged the cloth over her back, scrubbing away the dirt and mud caked on her skin. "That feels so good." It wasn't a lie. It had been what felt like forever since she'd had someone care for her in such a way and even longer since she'd trusted anyone so completely to do so.
She knew it was the same for him, which was one of the reasons it had taken him so long to let her in. She felt privileged to have him trust her with his vulnerable side. He had depth that so many men in her former life had lacked. He was gentle and kind and his heart was true, something no one else on the ship would ever know about him. They only saw his rough edges and the preventative measures he took to keep anyone from getting close to him. She smiled as she pressed a kiss to his chest above his heart, reveling in the fact that he was hers.
Belle moaned softly as his hands delved into her hair, his fingertips exerting just the right amount of pressure against her scalp as he cleaned the long locks. "Mmm, sometimes when we're like this," she whispered, "I can imagine it's just you and me alone on the ship."
Rush turned her around, his arm around her waist helping her maintain her balance. "Yeah?" he chuckled against her ear as he set to cleaning her chest and shoulders. "Just us … no Young, no one interfering with the mission, no one trying to usurp my authority over the scientific aspect of the ship? That's a lovely dream, mo ghrá." She turned again, taking the cloth from him and returning the favor. "You'd miss Eli and Miss Armstrong, and specifically Lt Johansen, however."
She held onto him as she made him turn so she could wash his back. "But I'd have you." Her face fell as she thought of Eli. "Besides, you never know whom you can trust with this lot," she snapped with a hint of bitterness as she wrung out the cloth and draped it over the stall door to dry.
He reached behind her and turned off the spray, wrapping a towel about her bruised body as he used another to dry her hair. "What do you mean, Belle? I thought you trusted your friends implicitly," he snarked dryly, a small smirk pulling at his lips.
She frowned as he wrapped the damp towel about his hips and lifted her in his arms, carrying her from the lavatory back to their quarters. "I don't trust anyone aside from you," she vowed fervently as he laid her on the bed and peeled the towel from her, tossing it to the floor as he made her turn on her right side so he'd have a clear view of her left. "I tried to be a little more trusting with my friends, but it seems every time I do, I'm severely disappointed."
Rush huffed a laugh and raked a hand through his damp hair. "Perhaps you'd like to continue being vague, but I cannot commiserate with you if I don't have a clue as to what you're referring."
A wry grin curled her lips as she rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. I had hoped I wouldn't have to tell you at all, but I have trouble keeping things from you."
She hissed as his fingertips skimmed lightly over her hip where a particularly nasty bruise was turning a vivid purple. "I'm sorry, love, I didn't mean to hurt you," he apologized, pulling his hand back.
"No, it's ok." She looked down and snorted at the mess she'd made of herself. In a day or two, the bruises would fade, and she'd be right as rain, but for now she looked as though she'd been the loser in a prize fight. Lovely. She reached for his hand, twining her fingers with his, trying to get him to focus on something other than her injuries. "Nicholas, you need to be careful."
His brows drew together as he met her troubled gaze. "I will, love. I'll be gentler —"
"No, that's not what I meant. I discovered something yesterday."
"You discover something new every day, Belle."
"Eli has been spying on you … for the colonel," she blurted out, locking her gaze with his, the seriousness of the matter evident in her cerulean eyes. Better to rip off the band-aid all at once. "You need to be careful."
"Fuck!" he cursed, rising from the bed to stalk angrily about the room as his temper flared. "How long?"
"I don't know, but there are hours of footage on his computer." She pushed herself up into a sitting position against the headboard and pulled the duvet over her chilled form.
"He's a member of our team, Belle! How the fuck are we supposed to work together if I have to worry about every single move I make being reported to fucking Young?!" he roared. "And you were going to keep this from me?"
"Of course not. I said I wished I wouldn't have to tell you, not that I wouldn't," she retorted in her defense. "You should know me better than that by now, Nicholas."
He made a noise of contrition as he stopped his pacing to turn to look at her. "Belle, I didn't mean to imply you were untrustworthy," he murmured, trailing his fingertips over her bruised cheek. "Never you, mo ghrá."
She reached for the compression bandage he'd discarded earlier on the nightstand and proceeded to roll it up so she could re-wrap her ankle. "Poor Eli, he's becoming brainwashed by the chain of command. HWC forced him into this against his will, Nicholas. All he wants is to go home and he believes Young can get him there. He sees Young and thinks military equals good, chain of command equals getting things done. He doesn't see all the shades of gray in between. We must be careful, but we also must be diligent that your actions aren't misconstrued."
Rush pulled her foot from beneath the duvet and took the bandage from her hands, gently wrapping it around her swollen ankle. "He's still young and hasn't had enough life experience to see through Young's single minded purpose. I suppose he'll learn the hard way." He stretched out on the bed next to her and she curled into his side, resting her head against his chest, exhausted from her long day on the planet and sore from her injuries. She needed sleep just as badly as Rush. "Belle, you don't … you don't think I'd purposely set out to harm anyone, do you?"
Belle snorted. "I know you, Nicholas. You're all about the greater good. I'm the only person on this ship you wouldn't sacrifice if necessary —"
"Belle —"
She cut him off, covering his lips with her fingertips. "Don't deny it when you know I'm right."
He didn't answer, refusing to admit she was right as he felt the fatigue wash over him. His long hours working were catching up with him and now that she was back on board and safe from any more harm, he could finally relax. There would be time later to worry about Young's scheming, but as long as his Belle believed in him, he could deal with whatever fate had in store for them.
X*X*X*X*X
"I swear, if you give me one more page of calculations, I may throw this laptop at your head, Nicholas," she growled as she looked over the screen at his irritatingly smirking face across the room.
"Then rest, my Belle. The only reason I gave you the calculations to review was because you claimed you were bored," he said calmly as he continued to make notations in his notebook and compare it to what he'd entered into the ship's computer. "Lt Johansen said you could resume active duty tomorrow at the earliest and we're going to follow her instructions to the letter."
"I missed my workout this morning," she pouted, removing her flash drive and holding it out to him so he could plug it into the adapter and download the data into the console.
"Chloe and Lt James managed without you there to lead them through the steps," he tried to be reassuring, waving his arms about in a poor imitation of her aerobics moves.
She arched a brow at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you mocking me, Nicholas?" she asked in a steely voice, barely restraining the urge to pound the mattress beneath her with her fists. Yet another sore subject which was causing disharmony between them.
Belle was already frustrated by the fact that he refused to touch her while she was covered in bruises, afraid he would hurt her, but TJ had only made it worse when she'd told him Belle needed rest for a few days to heal. He had work to do in his research on the chair and had ordered - ordered - her to remain in bed. Of course, being the stubborn creature she was, she had perhaps waited five minutes after he'd left their quarters to drag her clothes on and hobble off to the hydroponics lab to get started with the drying process of her tea leaves. He'd been furious when he'd stormed into the lab and carted her off to the neural chair interface room. And if she found out who tattled on her, there would be hell to pay.
Rush had called Greer and Rivers into his sanctum and given them a list of demands to bring in one of the spare mattresses from the unused quarters to set up a pallet in the corner of the room so he could keep an eye on her. She had just about everything she needed to keep her comfortable and entertained and she even had her work on Rush's research to keep her busy. Even so, she hated being idle. She looked forward to her breaks during the day when she could be useful in other areas of the ship. Not to mention, she wasn't allowed to explore.
She growled in frustration. "Rush, I have things to do in hydroponics. Can't I just check on the progress —"
"No," he replied without looking at her. "Doctors Boone and Park are seeing to your little project as well as their own in the lab."
"The herbs I collected?"
"Already done and sent to the kitchens."
The smell of roasting meat and vegetables already permeated the ship, making her mouth water. It had been so long since they'd had a decent meal, and a celebration had been planned for dinner that night. Considering the somber mood which usually ran rampant in the crew, a celebratory air would be more than welcome. Too bad she wasn't in the mood. She couldn't even find peace in her work, which usually brought her comfort.
She fidgeted, her irritation over her convalescence growing exponentially. "I'm bored, Nicholas. Can't you take a break? I'm tired of being cooped up in here when I'm really of no use to anyone."
Rush continued to scratch away in his notepad. "I'd take you to the observation deck for a bit, but I know we wouldn't be there ten minutes before you'd be complaining again." He sighed and set his work aside, ambling over to her pallet and dropping down beside her. "Another fifteen hours and you'll be free to do whatever you like, Belle."
She dropped her gaze to his hand covering hers and she turned it to slide her palm against his. "I don't like to feel useless."
"You're not useless," he assured her, brushing a stray curl behind her ear as he pulled her forward to capture her lips. "You could never be useless. Why don't you read for a while until it's time to go to dinner? Volker just charged your e-reader and I'm sure there's something on there to keep you distracted until then."
Belle chewed thoughtfully on her lip. "You don't have any more work for me to do?" she asked, raising doleful eyes to meet his.
"No, I'm waiting for your current work to finish downloading into the database. You have some free time, so I suggest you enjoy it." He brushed his fingertips lightly over the fading bruises on her cheek. "At least you're a quick healer, Belle. It could have been worse."
She nodded, reclining back against her pillows and switching on the device in her hands as he returned to the console to resume his work. It had been so long since she'd had time to sit and read, and although she missed the smell of ink and paper and the weight of holding an actual book in her hands, it was still nice. But she couldn't relieve the itch beneath her skin which made her want to get up and move. She squirmed, a grimace gathering like a thundercloud on her face as she contemplated disturbing Rush once more. However, she didn't have a choice.
"Nicholas?" she asked tentatively.
"Hmm?"
"I have to go to the bathroom."
He set his work aside and sighed, leaning heavily on the console as he looked up, a grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. Without complaint, he moved to her pallet and lifted her in his arms to carry her from the room, pressing a small kiss to her temple. "Why didn't you say so?"
X*X*X*X*X
"I can walk, y'know?" Belle protested as Rush carried her down the corridor to the infirmary.
"Not until Lt Johansen gives you the all clear … and I'll not hear another word, Belle. I won't have you injuring yourself further if you're not ready to be up and about," he insisted, tightening his grip on her.
Belle sulked silently for all of two seconds. "You're being an overbearing ass, Nicholas."
"No, mo chroí, I simply want you whole and healthy," he chuckled softly.
She lifted her hand to trace the dark circles beneath his eyes with her fingertips. "You didn't sleep last night, did you? Even after you promised?"
"I laid down with you for an hour or so," he said, staring down into her worried eyes. He hated to see the concern for his health there in her gaze, but there was no help for it. "You know how important it is for us to unlock the core systems, and with Young not wanting us to have access to the chair, it's even more difficult. I've got to work, Belle."
Belle held her tongue and waved to TJ, who was with another patient, as Rush bore her into the infirmary and settled her comfortably on a gurney. "Hey, guys," the medic greeted as she pulled on a pair of gloves. "Belle, how're you feeling?" she asked, turning Belle's face to the right so she could have a look at the bruises covering the left side of her face.
"I'm good, TJ, but if I'm not allowed to get up and move around, I may very well go mad. It's been two days! Can I please be let off of terminal bed rest now?"
TJ chuckled and arched a brow. "Terminal bed rest?"
Belle sniffed. "It might as well be with Rush monitoring my every move like a hovering mother hen."
Rush chuckled. "No need to be dramatic, my Belle. I just want to make absolutely certain you're healthy."
Belle rolled her eyes. "Nicholas, I'm fine! Aren't I, TJ?" she asked with a hopeful lilt in her voice.
"We'll see. Let me finish your examination before I decide, ok?" TJ said, grinning broadly at her friend. "It's hard to believe you only sustained these two days ago," she mused, inspecting her ribs. "Perhaps they looked worse than I'd originally thought."
Belle bit her lip and caressed the tea cup pendant hanging about her throat. "I've always been a quick healer."
"She's too obstinate to be down for long," Rush teased from where he was leaning against TJ's desk behind the gurney.
"Alright, let's have a look at your ankle," TJ hummed, unwrapping the ace bandage. She poked and prodded with her fingertips, frowning as she pressed gingerly along the tendons. "Can you stand for me?"
Belle complied, breathing a sigh of relief as she tentatively put her foot on the floor and shifted her weight to it without pain. She took a few steps at the medic's insistence. "It feels fine."
"It doesn't seem as though you have any lasting damage, but I suggest you wear the compression bandage for a few more days for added support.
"TJ, you haven't turned in your shift changes, and …" Young paused, coming into the infirmary and seeing she was in the middle of an examination. "Oh, I'm sorry; didn't know you were busy."
Belle waved him off. "We were just finishing up, Colonel," she smiled, thrilled to finally be back on her feet. However nice it was to have Rush carry her all about the ship, it was getting a bit old. Her normal boundless energy didn't bode well for lying about idly. "And I have our shift changes in the chair room if you'd like to come by later?"
"Thank you, Miss French," he said, rocking back on his heels as Rush took the bandage from TJ and rewrapped her ankle with the greatest of care. Young's gaze slid to the medic, and he sighed, wishing there were words to bridge the gap which seemed to be growing between them.
"Colonel Young," his radio crackled, Greer's voice somber. "This is Sergeant Greer."
"Go ahead, sergeant."
"I'm in Sergeant Spencer's quarters. He did not show up for duty. I came by to check up on him."
Young's brow furrowed at the flat tone in Greer's voice. "Greer, what is it?"
Belle tilted her head to the side as the air seemed to crackle with tension. She gasped at the sergeant's next words. "He's been shot, sir. He's dead."
X*X*X*X*X
Belle looked up from the console where she was working silently next to Rush as Young, TJ, Eli and Scott trooped into the chair room and began to explain the details of Sergeant Spencer's untimely death. "Wait … so is it a suicide or not?" she asked, confused by the evidence, or lack thereof.
TJ shook her head. "To all outward appearances, I would have said yes, but the gun is missing."
Rush dropped down onto the stool before his console and clasped his hands together as he turned to Young. "So … any suspects?" he asked. When the colonel didn't answer, he looked to Scott who remained just as tight lipped as his commanding officer. "Well, excuse me for being blunt, but there is a killer on board the ship. Do we have any idea who did this?"
"I don't know. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," Young murmured, leaning against the door frame.
"It - it's unbelievable," Eli stammered.
"Did he check his weapon into lock up after his shift last night?" Belle queried, wondering if Spencer's weapon was the one missing.
"Every weapon on board has been accounted for except Spencer's sidearm. Whoever did this used it to … well … you know," Scott explained.
"I don't think it's so unbelievable," Rush scoffed. "You put ordinary people under enough stress, I think you'll find they're capable of just about anything. Add to that the fact he was hoarding water and food, involved in several confrontations, I doubt you'll find many tears shed over this man."
Scott bristled. "He was one of our own, Rush."
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant," Rush sniggered, his voice dripping with condescension. "Was he your friend?" Scott tried to meet his gaze, but eventually looked down. Rush looked questioningly at the others, eyebrows raised. "Did he, in fact, have one single friend aboard this ship?"
Belle sighed in frustration and scrubbed her hands over her face as she set his notebook aside. "I don't think so. He had to have been one of the most disagreeable people I've ever met."
"James hung out with him," Eli said, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket.
"Vanessa tolerated him, I think. I wouldn't call that a friendship, though," TJ added.
Scott shifted awkwardly. "Alright, so no one could stand the guy. It does not make it ok."
Rush arched a brow and stabbed the colonel with his penetrating gaze. "I didn't mean to suggest that it did. What I do suggest, however, is that, Colonel Young … you should try and find out who this killer is as quickly as possible."
X*X*X*X*X
The entire crew gathered in the gate room to hear Young's announcement, falling silent as the colonel entered with several of the military contingent falling into step behind him. The soldiers, carrying weapons, clearly intent upon asserting their authority, spread out about the room, forming a perimeter. Scott and Young ascended partway up the stairs to be head and shoulders above the rest, wanting to be seen by all.
"As I am sure many of you have already heard," Everett began, "Sergeant Spencer was killed last night. He signed the weapon out of the equipment lock-up yesterday, and the nine millimeter handgun was not returned and is still missing."
Concerned murmuring broke out amongst the crew.
"I'm aware of how extremely disturbing this is for all of us, so this is what we're going to do. Lt Scott, Eli, Mr. Brody, Lt James and Dr. Park were together playing cards in the mess at the time of the murder. They can all corroborate each other's stories, which gives them an alibi."
Immediately everyone started providing their own alibis to each other, several calling out to Young.
Dr Palmer seemed almost belligerent. "Hey, I was in the Control Room all night."
"Yeah, I was in the Hydroponics Lab," Dr Boone called. "Check the Kino footage!"
"Listen," Young said, his voice echoing in the cavernous room as he held up his hands in a gesture for quiet. "I'm sure others will have alibis, but some of us won't. I can tell you for a fact that I was in my bunk sleeping at the time, but I can't prove that, and that makes me as much of a suspect as anyone. That is why I am turning over full control of the investigation to Lt Scott." Everett descended the stairs, leaving Scott free to address the crew.
Chloe shifted nervously where she stood at the back of the room next to Belle, leaning over to whisper. "Do you really think anyone is capable of murdering Spencer in cold blood?"
Belle reached for her friend's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "With the right amount of provocation, you'd be surprised by what people are capable of."
"All right," Scott boomed, his rifle held loosely by his side as he spoke. "We are going to do a room by room search, starting with quarters, until the weapon is found. Now, everyone needs to stay here until that search is complete but, in the meantime ..."
Belle rolled her eyes as Dr Franklin stepped forward. "You are not searching my room without me there," he interrupted. Several more spoke out, agreeing with the scientist.
"Anybody who wants to be there when their room is being searched can come along when their name is called. That fair?" Scott asked, pleased when more of the assembled nodded in agreement. "Ok. Doctor Franklin, you can be first. Who else would like to be present when their ..." He trailed off when over half of the crew raised their hands. "All right, ok, I ... it'll ..."
He looked around to Eli who shrugged at him in a what can you do kind of way before continuing. "It'll take all day that way, but we can, uh, we can do two at a time," he sighed, "if that's what you want."
Belle leaned her back against the stargate and pulled the radio from the belt of her yoga pants with a groan. "Nicholas?"
"Go ahead, Belle," he answered, his tone clipped and filled with impatience.
"They're doing a search of everyone's quarters, and we're all trapped here in the gate room until they're done. I'll be delayed. Can you transfer the data I was analyzing to the primary console here?" she asked. There were a hundred things she'd like to be discussing with him at the moment, but couldn't very well do that with Chloe glued to her side.
"What?! Does Young really think that's necessary?"
"Apparently," she muttered dryly. "You know he's going to do this by the book. I'll keep you informed. Just coordinate with me through radio and computer."
"Fine," he grumbled, his weary sigh coming through loud and clear over the link. "Rush out."
X*X*X*X*X
Young pushed away from where he was leaning against the outside of the stairwell as his radio squawked and Rush's voice echoed in the room. "Colonel Young, come in."
"What is it?" the colonel asked wearily, pacing several steps away from TJ.
"I've found some new information regarding the Ancient Chair Interface," Rush replied, the sound of keystrokes on the console sounding in the background.
Young sighed, shaking his head. The man was single-minded when it came to the chair, and he wondered if that would ever change. "Have they checked your quarters?"
"Well, I don't know, actually. Belle is supposed to be handling that because I've got work to do."
"Where are you?" Young asked, his dark eyes scanning the gate room in search of the doctor.
"The control interface room," Rush snarled, impatient with Young's dictates. "Look, I've come across some very interesting data ..."
"You're supposed to be here, waiting with the rest of us."
"Colonel, obviously neither one of us had anything to do with this business."
Young gnashed his teeth, vexed with the man's unwillingness to conform. "Well, that's not the point."
"I thought, while all this was going on, it might give us the opportunity to keep working," Rush snarked tetchily. "Obviously I was wrong. Rush out."
"Rush, get your ass back to the gate room. Rush?!" he growled, glaring acidly at the radio.
The radio crackled again, this time, however, it was Scott's voice to interrupt his black thoughts. "Colonel Young, this is Scott, come in?"
"Go ahead, Lieutenant."
"You're up."
"Get started. I'll be there shortly."
X*X*X*X*X
"You found the gun where?" Belle asked, looking up from the console as Eli and Scott regaled them with the details of their search. She was still in a high state of dudgeon from being confined to her quarters after the suite she shared with Nicholas had been searched. She'd just sat down to work at her console when Eli and Scott had come into the chair room to tell Rush and Camille what they'd found.
"In the colonel's quarters in a vent," Eli mumbled, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at his feet.
"Well, this looks bad," Rush said, shaking his head.
Scott shifted restlessly as he stared incredulously at Rush, unable to believe the doctor could think Young would have had anything to do with the murder of one of his men. "It doesn't prove anything."
"That's not the point," Camille insisted. "This is a question of morale. A lot of people on board are going to have doubts."
Scott turned his troubled gaze on Eli. "Eli, you were flying a Kino in everyone's face last night."
"Just until the poker game, then …" he raised his head, understanding dawning on his face, "then I put it in a search mode."
"Well, maybe it caught something … something that might indicate that Colonel Young had nothing to do with this," Rush pondered, rubbing at his upper lip as he leaned an elbow on the console.
"Or that he did," Camille suggested.
Belle snorted, knowing the IOA representative would like nothing more than to have the military presence on board removed or corralled at the very least. As much as she disliked the colonel, she liked Camille even less and didn't want to see that woman with more power than she already wielded.
"I find that hard to believe," Rush scoffed. "Have you contacted Earth yet?"
"I was just about to use the communication stones," Camille said, turning towards the door.
"Well, whatever your superiors advise, we are on our own out here. Best we handle this ourselves."
X*X*X*X*X
Belle stood in the open doorway of the conference room where the evidentiary hearing was being held. A chair had been brought in to serve as a witness stand and it faced a table where Chloe and Camille sat, representing both prosecution and defense. On either side of the long room, more chairs had been set up for the crew members who wanted to bear witness to the insanity taking place before her.
It was bloody well ridiculous, she thought as she crossed her arms over her chest, one brow arched dubiously as she listened to Camille question first Dr Franklin and then Dr Volker about the colonel's conduct. Chloe seemed to be holding her own against the woman considering she had no more than a degree in political science. It was ludicrous to think Young would have killed one of his own men. He might occasionally lose his temper - and really, who on board hadn't lost it over the past several weeks, herself included - but she didn't think his professionalism would allow him to act in such a heinous way.
Her eyes narrowed on Volker as he hesitantly spoke of a conversation between the colonel and Rush where Young complained about Spencer. They were blowing it completely out of proportion, in her opinion, and it seemed it would only get worse as Rush took a seat in the chair, an impassive expression on his face. She bit down on her lip to quell the groan which rose in her throat.
"I don't remember the details of the conversation," Rush said with a sigh of impatience. He wasn't happy to have been pulled away from his work to testify at this farce of a hearing.
"But you do remember speaking with Colonel Young about Sergeant Spencer?" Camille pressed.
"Well, the colonel was doing most of the talking. I think he just wanted to let off steam," Rush told her, making it sound as if it were of little importance.
Camille paused a moment, meeting his eyes with a steady gaze of her own as she tapped her pencil against her notepad. "Do you remember him saying that if things didn't improve, he was going to have to take drastic action?"
"I'm not sure he used those exact words."
"Do you agree that Sergeant Spencer was a disruptive force; that his attitude was damaging to morale and was only getting worse?" she asked, ignoring Chloe as she shifted next to her.
Rush clasped his hands together in his lap, never flinching. "Yes."
Belle's eyes narrowed on him as the corner of his eye twitched spasmodically. If she hadn't been staring at him so intently, she would have missed it. Just what are you up to, Nicholas, she wondered, recognizing one of his tells.
Camille continued. "Then would you say that his removal from the situation has been a benefit or a detriment?" she asked, pressing her advantage.
Rush smirked wryly, tilting his head a bit to the right as he perused her glib satisfaction. "I know what you're trying to do. You want me to suggest that we're better off without him, therefore implying that Colonel Young may have drawn the same conclusion … that as commander he may have believed he had no choice."
Camille's brows rose expectantly. "Well?"
"Well, that would be pure speculation and I'm having none of it."
Rush joined Belle at the door when Camille released him from the witness stand. TJ was up next.
Belle arched a condescending brow at her lover. "For someone who had no intention or desire to bury the colonel, you didn't hesitate to pick up the shovel," she whispered so as not to disrupt the proceedings. She didn't give him a chance to defend his actions, turning back to listen to Camille and Chloe question TJ.
Rush turned on his heel and pressed a kiss to her temple, seeking forgiveness for whatever blunder he'd committed in her eyes. "I'll be in the control room for a while. I want to process the data we uncovered on the chair this morning."
She nodded, relieved he hadn't taken her comment the wrong way. She really didn't want to fight with him considering everything else that was going on. She pushed it to the back of her mind and concentrated on the medic's testimony as TJ revealed the evidence she'd gathered that morning. Apparently, she'd found an empty prescription bottle for sleeping pills in his room and TJ told the assemblage if he'd come to her she might have been able to help him. It was also discouraging that without the proper equipment she was unable to perform an autopsy or other forensic tests which could prove the difference between suicide and murder. All in all, things were not looking well for the colonel. Belle backed away from the door and leaned against the bulkhead next to the door release as Camille called for a recess and everyone began to file out.
Camille slammed her hand on the table as she turned to face Chloe. "What was that? We're trying to get to the truth here," she railed at the girl, her dark eyes flashing fire as she referred to the animosity which had sprung up between them while questioning TJ.
"I don't think that's even possible," Chloe countered, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest as she stared at the shorter woman.
"We can't afford to have an unsolved murder hanging over our heads."
Chloe glowered at her. "So, forget about the possibility that the colonel is being framed and just get this over with?!" she declared hotly.
"I don't think Colonel Young is so far above reproach as you seem to think he is," Camille hissed, pointing her finger at the girl.
"Oh, well, you're the human resources person," Chloe sneered, her voice rising along with her ire. "You would know all about that. In fact, you probably know more about every person on this ship than anyone. If we're throwing due process out the window, who do you think did it? We'll just go with that!"
Belle strode purposefully into the room. "Ladies! Do we really need to be fighting amongst ourselves?" she asked, her voice calm as she met Camille's wrathful gaze. "Why don't we have some lunch and give us time to reflect on what we've learned so far?"
"I really don't think this concerns you, Miss French," Camille said softly.
"No, but it concerns me," Everett said from the open doorway. "Might I have a word, Ms. Wray?"
Belle nodded to Young and tugged on Chloe's elbow, prodding her to leave the room and join her in the mess. "Belle, there's no clear evidence that he did this. It's purely speculation. Anyone on board this ship could have easily planted that gun in Colonel Young's quarters and Camille acts as though she caught him pulling the trigger," the girl fumed as she walked beside Belle down the corridor and entered the mess. "What the hell is wrong with her?"
She led Chloe over to her usual table in the corner and sat down opposite her friend, smiling warmly at Becker as he brought them two bowls of steaming stew he'd made with some of the meat and potatoes they'd acquired on the planet. She tucked in, savoring the burst of flavor on her tongue after so many weeks of protein bars and paste.
"Chloe," she said around her first bite, "Camille is very ambitious. Haven't you figured out yet what is going to happen if Colonel Young is removed from command?" she asked, giving the girl a pointed look.
"Oh, my god," Chloe gasped, her spoon clattering to the table as it slipped from her numb fingers. "She would be put in charge."
"Which we all know she's been clamoring for since we came aboard," Belle supplied with a shrug. "I don't understand how she thinks she could do a better job, but it is what it is."
Eli came in and sat down with them, casting a furtive glance in Belle's direction to see if she was still harboring animosity towards him. "Hey, guys. How's it going?"
"Better for us than the colonel," Chloe admitted ruefully as she swirled her spoon around in her stew.
Belle tuned out as her friends discussed their views on the hearing. The mess's occupants consisted mostly of civilians, and she couldn't seem to block out the conversations being held around her.
"You don't think he really did it?" Dr Palmer asked from where she sat with Doctors Park and Volker.
"I'm not so sure what to think anymore," Lisa replied with a shrug.
Dale looked between the two women. "Spencer was a menace, though. We all know it."
Brody leaned forward, his elbows against the table as he tried to keep his voice down. "Well, maybe it's just like Rush said. Maybe Young thought he had no other choice."
Palmer gave him a dubious look. "No, that's crazy."
Volker shrugged again and returned to his food. "Well, let's face it … how well do any of us really know the man?"
Belle startled as Eli laid his hand over hers to garner her attention. "Earth to Belle! Hey, you ok?"
"Yeah," she murmured, frowning down at her lunch as she took another bite. "But whoever did this has gotten what they wanted." She nodded towards the table of civilian scientists. "Already there's dissension in the ranks."
Chloe let out a growl of frustration and pushed her bowl aside. Belle pushed it back at her friend with a pointed look, telling her without words that she didn't need to miss a meal. "There's got to be something we're missing!" she groaned, picking up her spoon once more.
"I've been over the Kino footage like ten times. There's nothing on there that either convicts or exonerates the colonel," Eli protested as he took a sip of his cooling tea. He sighed blissfully and winked at Belle. "Kudos on the tea, however."
"Hmm," Belle hummed distractedly. She shook herself out of her reverie. "You need to go over it again. There has to be something there. It's not like you not to have everything recorded that goes on. It's there, you just haven't found it yet." Her eyes narrowed as she watched Rush amble into the mess, grab a bowl of stew and make his way over to their table to sit next to her. "What in the world has you so jubilant, Nicholas?"
"Don't know what you mean, Belle," he said evasively, tucking into his lunch with undisguised relish.
She knew better, however. He had that glint of avarice in his eye and seemed entirely too pleased with himself. It made her leery and suspicious, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
X*X*X*X*X
Belle felt a chill skitter up her spine as the lights flickered on in the neural chair interface room and she couldn't help but grip Rush's hand tighter in hers as he led her over to the primary console. His smug satisfaction had only increased in the last several hours when he'd discovered Young had stepped down from his command and turned the ship over to Camille's rather questionable hands. But she knew it wasn't so much that Young was no longer in command that had Rush in such an exuberant mood, but rather the fact that Camille had given him authority over his science team, Eli included. There was nothing more to get in the way of his research on the chair.
She opened her laptop and plugged it into the adapter Brody had fashioned for her, ready to get to work as Franklin set down his case and stared excitedly at the chair. "So … this is it," he breathed reverently, running his hand over the headrest.
"This is it," Rush murmured in response.
"Very impressive ... I mean, as far as chairs go," Volker stammered, following Park and Brody into the room.
"Well, time will tell, I suppose," Rush answered as he switched on his console.
Lisa Park took her place at the secondary console and did the same, the screen blinking to life. "So, you sit in the chair, and it downloads the secrets of the universe into your head?"
Belle huffed a small laugh, though it sounded strange to her ears. She couldn't shake the sense of foreboding which crept beneath her skin as she stared at the ancient device.
Eli wasn't helping with his doom and gloom attitude. "And then you die," he said with mock cheerfulness. "Yay!"
"Not necessarily, Eli," Rush scolded with a sigh of exasperation for the boy's lack of vision.
Brody circled around the chair, eyeing it with no small amount of skepticism. "Every time it's ever been tried …" he held up his thumb and forefinger a mere inch apart, "… this close to death."
"Who's tried it," Franklin asked with a puzzled frown. Belle bit her lip to keep from rolling her eyes at the man. Clearly he hadn't studied up on the stargate program as much as she had.
"General O'Neill, for one," Belle told him, pulling up the necessary program on her laptop to have it ready for Rush to begin.
"And he survived," Franklin argued, not sure what the big fuss was.
"We don't have a little grey alien to set things right this time," Brody snarked, referring to the general's experience with the last neural device HWC had come across.
"No, we don't," Rush intoned, leaning against the console as he focused on the prize sitting in the center of the room, "but this is an earlier model of that same device, possibly a prototype built very early in their evolution."
Eli sighed as he leaned over Belle's shoulder, his eyes soaking in the data on the screen. "In my experience, the 1.0 version's usually the most bug-y."
Belle nudged him with her shoulder, not quite comfortable having him invading her personal space. She'd never been able to focus on her work with someone peering over her shoulder. "It's also the simplest," she retorted.
"Maybe it's really simple. Maybe it just tells you how to fly the ship," Franklin suggested. Belle stared at him incredulously, wondering how the man had ever been made a part of their team if he were going to make such asinine remarks.
"Well, I'm sure it's a bit more than that," Rush stated, saving the scientist from her sarcastic reply. "But your point is well made. It's knowledge of the ship we need. If we're to survive - or, for that matter, get back to Earth one day - then I'm convinced that this chair is the only way to do that."
"Maybe there's a way of choosing what information gets downloaded," Park said absently as she began to process the data on her console.
Brody shifted restlessly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Or, maybe it's just a matter of slowing the download so it can be cut off."
"Hence the program Nicholas and I have been writing. If there's some way we can perhaps slow down the transfer of data it might keep it from deep frying our brains," Belle replied, moments away from slipping into a trance-like state as she always did when she focused on her equations.
"There's only one way to find out." Rush left the console to stand at the back of the chair, placing his index fingers against the headrest, pointing to it. "This is our priority now."
Belle sighed as her eyes met his. His obsession gleamed in the sable depths. She'd seen it before when he'd been intent on solving the dialing sequence for the ninth chevron and just as it was then, she had cause to worry.
X*X*X*X*X
The ship was quiet, too quiet, Dr Franklin thought with a yawn as he continued to go over the data he was analyzing on his laptop. There had to be something he was missing, and he had to wonder if he was just too tired to see it.
Eli strolled into the room. "Hey, still here?"
"Yeah, I got stuck with the late shift. Belle dragged Rush off to grab something to eat and stretch her legs. They should be back soon," he said, looking up at the boy before turning back to his screen.
Eli nodded, moving to the console and switching it on. "How's it coming?"
Franklin sighed wearily and rubbed at the tension along his nape. "It's not," he explained. "We've run every Ancient systems diagnostic we've got. Nothing. Rush and Belle have tried to write a new program, but it seems like this thing ..." He gestured toward the chair, "... is designed to prevent any kind of access except through the chair itself."
"Which would prevent an alien species who doesn't happen to share Ancient physiology from trying to hack in, I guess," the boy remarked with a nod.
"Maybe Rush is right. Maybe we're close enough for it to work," Franklin murmured more to himself than to his companion.
Eli snorted. "Believe me, if Rush thought it was safe, he'd be sitting there right now."
"Yeah. Maybe," the rotund scientist agreed.
"You should get some rest," Eli told him, stifling a yawn.
Franklin shook his head. "Nah. Rush is due to relieve me at twenty-three hundred. If I wasn't here, I'd never hear the end of it. Maybe you could go to the mess and get me some of Becker's alien mashed potatoes? Or maybe some of that stew he served up for lunch."
"Sure," Eli nodded, sauntering slowly to the door. "I'll be back soon."
Franklin offered him a weak smile and turned back to the chair, eyeing it thoughtfully.
X*X*X*X*X
Everett frowned down at the primer in his hands, wondering how Eli had been able to convince him learning Ancient would be beneficial enough to suffer the headaches of becoming fluent. "Just think … you'll be able to appreciate the arguments Belle and Rush have when they think we can't understand them." He tossed the primer onto the low coffee table next to the sofa in his quarters. It might be incentive enough for Eli to learn, but not quite enough for Young to put forth the effort.
He leaned back into the plush cushions and rested his head against the back of the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. It had been a long time since he'd felt so out of sorts. Having stepped down from his command didn't sit well with him at all. Camille might think she was capable of leading these people, but would she really defer to him if an emergency arose, and she needed his expertise and training?
"This is Eli," came the boy's frantic voice over the radio, disrupting the colonel's reverie. "Anybody on this channel? I - I need help!"
Young hefted himself hurriedly to his feet and retrieved his radio from his desk. "Eli, this is Young. What is it?"
"I - I have a medical emergency. I need help now!" he squawked, panic clearly evident in his tone.
Everett slammed his hand against the door release and set off down the corridor, his pace rapid. "Eli, calm down. Where are you?"
"Chair r - room. I - I don't know what to do … I … hurry," he squawked frantically.
Young nearly ran into TJ as she came out of a side corridor and raced along with him, her medical bag slung over her shoulder. "What's going on?"
TJ shrugged as she ran at his side. "I don't know yet. I'm just responding to Eli's pleas for help."
Young preceded her into the neural chair interface room, his eyes rounding in horror as he rushed to Eli's side. Dr Franklin was in the chair, his body convulsing as he whimpered, his eyes staring sightlessly ahead. The prongs on the chair attached to the headrest dug deeply into the man's temples, little rivulets of blood trailing down the sides of his face as Eli fought to unscrew them from the bracket in the hopes of freeing him.
"What happened?" TJ asked, not really expecting an answer as she set her bag down and opened it.
"I don't know," Belle cried, her fingers flying rapidly over the keyboard as she sought a way to release Franklin from the chair. "Nicholas and I came back from the mess to start our shift and found him like this."
Rush input data on the wall panel where the screens were lit up with the neural scans of the chair's sole occupant to no avail, no one in the room willing to voice their fears.
TJ stared helplessly at the scientist trapped in the chair, his hands and feet captive in the clamps. "How long's he been in here?"
Finally - either because the program had finished or because Rush or Eli had found the off switch - the prongs withdrew from Franklin's head and the clamps released him. As the headpiece flipped back over the top of the chair, he slumped forward. TJ and Young caught him, preventing him from toppling to the floor.
Eli raked a hand through his hair, pleading with the colonel to understand. "I - I went to the mess for five minutes and when I got back, he was already in the chair. Belle and Rush got here maybe a minute later."
Young glared suspiciously across the room at Rush who - as usual - wore an inscrutable expression on his weathered face.
X*X*X*X*X
TJ stepped away from the gurney where they'd laid Franklin when he'd been brought to the infirmary and faced those gathered in the doorway awaiting news. "Well, the convulsions have stopped but he's completely unresponsive. He's basically in a deep catatonic state."
Camille raked a hand through her long, straight hair and heaved a sigh. "Is there anything you can do for him?"
"We could try a high dose of lorazepam, see if it'll bring him out of it, but I'm flying blind here."
Camille hesitated only a moment before making her decision. "Do it."
TJ cast her gaze across to Young uncertainly, but he deliberately refused to answer or comment as he waited for her to remember that Camille was in charge now. Eventually, she returned her gaze back to Camille and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
As TJ got to work preparing the syringe, Camille and Young left the infirmary. Belle turned to him as soon as he gained the corridor where they were waiting for news. "How is he?" she asked, wringing her hands.
Young walked a few paces away before his temper broke through the calm reserve of his training, hissing furiously at Rush. "You just couldn't wait, could you?"
"You are not going to blame Nicholas!" Belle screeched indignantly. "This wasn't his fault, and you know it."
"Anyone who had access to that room was under strict orders not to sit in that chair," Rush said quietly, coming to his own defense.
"You knew!" the colonel roared, his voice echoing in the stillness of the corridor. "You knew the temptation was there. In fact, you made sure of it by telling them it was our only chance."
"We were there to determine the feasibility of accessing that information ..." Rush said calmly in the face of Young's rage.
Everett continued thundering at him as if Rush hadn't spoken, bellowing over him. "You wanted someone there …"
"… without risking anyone's life," Rush continued.
"BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE GUTS TO DO IT YOURSELF!" He stood toe to toe with the doctor, staring down at him.
Rush flushed, his cheeks heating as he looked away from the man and Belle stepped between them. "Enough! It's not his fault, Everett. Now back off. He cannot be held responsible for Franklin's accident when the man had already been warned not to use the chair."
Young continued to glare at Rush, who stared at the floor like an adolescent scolded by his angry father, and it made Belle only want to lash out more. Thankfully, Camille stepped forward and laid a hand on his arm. "It was under my authority, so ultimately it's my responsibility."
The colonel turned and glared down into her stoic face. "I know," he hissed, regaining some control after his outburst. He held her gaze for a bit longer before turning back to Rush who still wouldn't meet his eyes. Finally, he walked away, needing time to think things through.
Rush threw a long, dark look at his back before grabbing Belle's hand in his, twining their fingers and leading her in the opposite direction.
Scott whirled on Eli as Camille returned to the infirmary to help TJ. "You've got those damn Kinos running day and night all over the danged ship and you are telling me not one of them saw something … ANYTHING!?"
"No!" Eli insisted. "I've been over it twice. There's nothing there!"
"Look again," he commanded. "He was framed, Eli. We are gonna find out by who and we're gonna put a stop to it."
Eli threw up his hands in defeat and whirled about on his heel to return to his quarters, hoping that this time when he went over the footage, he would find a glimmer of hope to help the colonel.
X*X*X*X*X
"I don't need you to defend me!" Rush crowed angrily as he followed Belle into the chair room, his face flushed an angry red as they continued the argument which had started when they'd left the infirmary.
She arched a brow at him, holding her tongue until Lisa edged her way out the door, leaving them alone. "Yes, darling, because you were doing such a splendid job of standing up to him," she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Everett is a bully. He had no right to say those things to you, and now you're feeling guilty."
Rush crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the floor.
"Gods! That's it, isn't it? You're feeling guilty because of what happened to Franklin." She studied the slight twitching at the corner of his left eye and groaned. "You were hoping he'd do something like this to further our research, weren't you? You knew!"
"Yes." His shoulders drooped a bit under the face of her bitter disappointment. "I knew there was a possibility he'd sit in the chair," he replied in low tones.
"Oh, Nicholas," she whispered, shaking her head as she cast him a pained look. "You do play the game quite well, but one of these days your machinations are going to reach up and bite you in the arse." She reached up, putting a hand to her head to fight off a wave of dizziness as the ship lurched. They'd dropped out of FTL.
Rush glanced up at the countdown clock above the door. "That's odd," he commented, a frown drawing his brows together. "Three hours doesn't give us much time to go down to the planet if there's one viable. Why don't you go down to the gate room and see —"
"We're in the middle of a conversation, Nicholas," she protested.
"And we can do this later, Belle. Right now, we've work to do."
She glared at him, her eyes flashing blue fire as she stalked towards the door. "Stubborn, controlling, manipulative asshole!" she grumbled as she left. "We're not done with this, Rush, I promise you."
"I know, love," he mumbled when she was out of earshot. "I know."
X*X*X*X*X
"Belle I really need you to do this for me," Camille insisted as she hovered near the console in the gate room. "With the shift in authority, I want a civilian to lead the team and it's down to you or Rush. Considering that only the ship exploding in a burst of flame could tear him away from his research; that leaves you."
"He's not going to be happy about this, Camille. I just promised him a few days ago that I wouldn't go off world unless he accompanied me." She took the fatigues Vanessa James thrust at her and turned to go change. "You won't mind explaining your edict to him, I'm sure."
Park helped Volker with the large pack he lifted onto his back and handed him a small case filled with their testing equipment as Kane joined them. Camille moved away from the console as Belle came back in, dressed for the foray down to the planet, a small pack draped over her shoulder.
"Alright, it doesn't look like there's much vegetation around the gate, so you may have to widen your search," Camille told them, smiling faintly at Belle. She looked around as Vanessa and another marine, both geared up for the expedition, and stepped over to join the team of scientists. "Lt James and Airman Rennie will be providing security …" She pressed the Kino remote into Belle's hand which would give her access to the gate once they were offworld, "… but you're in charge."
Belle rolled her eyes. It was all about power with that woman, she thought irritably, but she held back her biting words, wishing to be off. The sooner this could be accomplished, the sooner she'd be able to return. Without waiting to see if the rest of the team followed, she set off up the ramp and disappeared through the puddle shimmering in the gate.
X*X*X*X*X
Rush fumed silently as he began to process the data he'd received from Franklin's failed attempt to use the chair. He could really benefit from Belle's expertise with the computer. Yet Camille had taken it upon herself to send his assistant down to the planet. Perhaps it wasn't the best thing to have the IOA representative in charge after all.
The radio crackled to life at his elbow where it rested on the console, and he felt a burst of excitement at the news Brody relayed to him. "An alien ship? Are you sure?"
"That's what Belle said," the engineer confirmed.
He looked up at the countdown clock ticking away above the door, his heart racing with excitement. "We've got just over two hours before we jump back into FTL. I'm on my way!"
Rush hurried to his quarters and pulled on the fatigues he kept there, grabbing a messenger bag before he set out for the mess. He had Becker prepare him two canteens and some of the dried fruit available. Belle's stalwart belief to always be prepared for any situation seemed to be rubbing off on him. He thanked the man before darting towards the gate room.
Young stepped into his path before he could make it to his destination, however. "I was just coming to get you," the colonel said. Rush could still see that spark of anger in his dark eyes Young wasn't quite adept at hiding.
"Not now," Rush hissed irritably, trying to move around him. "I have to get to the planet."
"It can wait," Everett snapped.
"Look, they found the remains of a crashed alien ship," Rush tried to explain, wondering why the man wouldn't just move out of his way and let him proceed with the mission. "There's very little time before we jump back to FTL."
Again, Rush tried to move past him and Young firmly gripped his forearm, forestalling his escape. "It can wait," he reiterated.
Rush looked at him nervously, but nodded and followed him to Eli's quarters. Camille was there as well. Eli pressed play on his laptop where the missing Kino footage he'd discovered was on display for their perusal. It clearly showed a coldly determined Spencer in his quarters on the night in question, the only illumination in the room provided by the FTL lights shining through the porthole.
Nicholas leaned against the door jamb and crossed his arms over his chest, bristling at being delayed.
Spencer spoke into the Kino, recording what appeared to be his version of a suicide note. "It's been about a week since I ran out of pills. Haven't slept much since. I can't think. Everything's ... I don't know." He sighed heavily, resolute in his conviction. "These people don't even realize they're inside a big floating coffin. I wish I could come up with something better to say." He looked away from the Kino for a moment, before squaring his shoulders. "I'm sorry." The marine sergeant raised the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger.
Camille jumped and Rush cringed away from the sight. Young watched him closely as Eli switched off the recording and turned away from the laptop.
"The Kino kept recording," Eli explained, "but the file must have gotten corrupted in the transfer. This is all I could get."
Scott shifted restlessly. "The point is, it wasn't there when Greer found the body, so we know someone took it along with the gun."
Young stabbed Eli with a penetrating stare. "Who would have the skills to delete the file from the mainframe?"
Eli snorted. "It's not that hard, really. Anyone with basic knowledge of the ship's computer. Uh, at least a dozen people, if not more."
Camille cleared her throat as she lifted her troubled gaze to the colonel. "Colonel, I'm sorry. I … uh … I - I don't know what to say. Obviously, we need to rethink our situation."
"Obviously," Scott scoffed, weary of the woman and her ambitions to take over the colonel's command.
"We should recall the team from the planet," she said, moving to leave the room.
"No, no, we can't do that," Rush hurried to protest, preventing her exit. "In over a dozen planets, we haven't had a single indication of advanced technology up until now." He gestured to the Kino footage frozen on Eli's screen. "This mess isn't going anywhere."
"He's right," Everett reluctantly agreed. "The ship could be important. I'm going, too."
"If you think it's really ..."
"I'm not asking permission," Young hissed, effectively cutting her off. "I'm telling you."
Camille tried to maintain her dignity as she nodded, ceding the leadership of Destiny back to the colonel.
Young glared at Rush as the doctor pushed himself away from the bulkhead. "Let's go."
X*X*X*X*X
Rush drank deeply from his canteen as he made his way across the rocky terrain surrounding the stargate. Young walked stiffly at his side, but the doctor ignored him, focused more on the new discovery the team had made which should be around the next hill …
Nicholas rushed forward as the ship loomed into view, half buried in a ton of rock and debris at the top of a hillock. Volker was standing beneath the hull of the ship, inspecting what seemed to be a hatch. He looked up as Rush approached.
"Well, it's not Ancient. That much we've figured out. The material, the design — it's completely different," the astrophysicist explained.
Dr Kane stared up at the ship. "It's not emitting any radiation or EM fields. It's basically dead."
Dale handed Rush a small handheld scanner as the doctor cast a searching glance around the area. "Where the hell is Belle?"
Volker cringed as he pointed upwards to the top of the ship. "Up there."
He scrambled up the slope to investigate the hatch. "Have you been inside?" he asked the two members of his team.
"We haven't figured out how to open the hatch," Dale said. "We'll probably have to cut it open."
"Belle!" Rush called, moving to the side of the forward cockpit so his voice would carry to her. Her head appeared over the side as she grinned down at him. "What are you doing up there?"
"I found another hatch up here," she exclaimed excitedly. "It's got some type of puzzle lock and I'm trying to work it out to see if we can gain access inside."
Rush shook his head. If anyone could figure it out, it would be his Belle. Young seemed more intent on the idea of the first hatch, however. "How much time would it take to cut it open?" he asked, turning to Volker.
"More than we have," he admitted ruefully. He had to be honest with himself; he'd love to see what was inside.
Young glanced down at his watch to check the time and motioned for Vanessa to join him. "Lieutenant, let's pack it up."
She nodded. "Yes, sir."
Rush held the lead attached to the scanner up to the hatch as he monitored the data on the small screen. "No, just - just give me a few more minutes," he protested.
Young snorted. "I don't see how a few minutes is gonna make a difference."
"Well, it might."
"Alright, I'm willing to push it if you are." He looked over at Volker. "Take your team and head back to the gate."
Dale frowned over at Rush, who was still scrambling around under the hatch as he tried to figure out the best way to open it. "Are you sure, Dr. Rush?"
Rush glanced at the astrophysicist briefly, nodding. "Yeah, we'll be right behind you."
"Belle," Rush called out. "Belle, come down from there. It's time to return to the ship."
"I've almost got it, Nicholas," she returned absently, pressing the symbols on the hatch in a different series. "Give me five more minutes!"
"Now!"
Belle grumbled under her breath as she sat down and slid along the shiny metal hull to the gravel surrounding the ship. Carefully, she made her way around the ship until she was standing at his side. "Fine, but I don't think we have time to try to get in this way either."
"Grab your pack and head back to the gate with Volker and the rest of the team. I —"
She cut him off, her brows drawing into a concerned frown as she cast a fleeting look between him and the colonel. "Aren't you coming?"
Rush shook his head, not sparing her a glance as he focused on the hatch. "It's alright, Belle. The colonel and I are going to stay a bit longer." He set the scanner aside and brushed a curl behind her ear, realizing she was worried for him. "I'll be along. Go on back to the ship."
"I'd rather stay, too," she insisted. She leaned into his touch, her eyes wide and fearful. "I don't like the idea of leaving you here with him, Nicholas."
He sighed and stared off into the distance in the direction of the gate. "Please, Belle," was all he said, making his wishes clear.
"Don't be late, Nicholas." She made her way down the slope, sliding and slipping when her tread lost traction. She gave Young a pointed look as she grabbed her pack and passed him, making sure he knew without her having to tell him that she didn't trust him in the least.
Satisfied that she was going to do as he wished, Rush focused once more on the hatch. "You know, Volker was right. This is unlike any other kind of alien technology we've encountered before. If they're indigenous to this part of the universe, they might be willing to trade … knowledge, information." He banged on the hatch, a hollow thud greeting him. "There has to be a way in."
"I know it was you," Young said matter-of-factly, his voice barely able to disguise his loathing for the scientist he'd come to view as his adversary.
Rush froze, his hands stilling on the hatch as he half turned towards the man. "I'm sorry?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant when his gut churned with trepidation.
"The files were not corrupted," the colonel continued, squinting against the sun as he stared up at Rush. "The Kino kept recording until you came into the room."
Rush's shoulders sagged resignedly now that his ruse had been exposed. He really was going to have to get Belle to show him her little secrets for manipulating the ship's computer.
"So, let's hear it," Everett snapped. "Let's hear how you lie your way out of this one."
Rush slowly turned and walked down the slope towards Young. "I heard a shot," he began, realizing there was no point in withholding the truth from the man now that he'd been exposed. "I went to investigate, and I found him."
"And then you, uh, you decided to frame me for murder." Young glared at him pointedly, wanting - needing - clarification. Young pasted a grin on his face, which turned out to be more of a snarl, when a smirk bloomed on the scientist's thin lips.
"That's a bit melodramatic," Rush replied. "No - I knew there wouldn't be any real evidence against you. The idea was to create just enough doubt to get you to step aside."
"I see," Young sneered, a mirthless chuckle falling from his lips. "That was the idea."
"Well, you're the wrong man for the job, Colonel," he said in all seriousness, confident in his convictions. "I'm sorry to have to be the one to say it, but I think you know it's true."
"Do I?"
"You don't believe in the mission," Rush explained. Young gazed off into the distance, unable to look into the accusing sable orbs of his nemesis. "You resigned your position as SG leader because you didn't wanna make the hard decisions, the life and death decisions. Well, that makes you a liability," Nicholas scoffed, his lip curling in disgust. "I'm not proud of what I did, but I did it for the benefit of everyone on board."
"The end justifies the means," Young said, the calmness of his voice hiding the fiery anger in his dark eyes.
"Yeah, something like that."
Abruptly and without warning, Young's meaty fist flew forward and connected with the left side of Rush's stubbled jaw. Nicholas covered the spot with his hand as pain exploded in his head. He doubled over as his senses reeled before turning to stare incredulously at the man who was responsible for his well-being. This wasn't supposed to happen. The colonel had taken an oath to lead, to protect and care for those under his command. This went against everything he knew about the man.
Rush straightened, dazed; only to have the colonel hit him again and again. He fell to the ground after the third blow landed, his mind a haze of pain, but he knew if he remained there defenseless on the ground, the people stranded aboard Destiny would be left alone, unaware of the true nature of the man before him. His Belle would be left without him and that was unacceptable. He held his bleeding lip with his left hand as the right scrambled beneath him, searching for anything large enough to use as a weapon.
As Young stood over him, waiting for him to get up, Rush picked up a small rock and threw it at him. It gave him hope when it hit Young in the face, and he used the distraction to heft himself to his feet and hurl his body towards the colonel. They fell to the rock-littered ground and rolled over and over one another, struggling as each fought to gain the upper hand before coming to a rest at the bottom of the slope.
Everett knew what he was doing, had been trained in hand to hand combat and quickly gained the advantage over the smaller man. He grabbed the back of Rush's jacket and tossed him forcefully down, face first into the rock strewn ground, delivering a punch to his kidneys before lifting his head and slamming it down again. He didn't give the doctor a chance to recover, hauling him to his feet and gripping the front of his jacket to stare into his bleeding face.
His chest heaving with exertion, Young snarled ominously, "Are we done?"
Nicholas's lip curled back over his teeth in a feral snarl as he searched the colonel's face. He ignored the pain, focusing on one last look at the man he was sure would be responsible for his death. A surge of hatred flowed through his veins like molten steel as he hissed belligerently, "We'll never be done."
Everett slammed his brow into Rush's, the blow effectively rendering him unconscious. He let the scientist drop like a stone to the ground and looked down on him with rage churning in his gut. After a long moment, he turned and set off towards the gate, trying not to think about what he would have to tell his crew.
X*X*X*X*X
Belle paced back and forth before the gate where she stood at the top of the ramp, her cerulean gaze frantically darting between her watch and the direction from which she knew Nicholas and the colonel would be coming. They had mere minutes to spare, and she could feel the raw panic burning in her chest. She forced herself to calm as she took a deep breath and trained her eyes on the horizon for the first glimpse of the two men, her ears perking for the slightest sound. What could be taking them so long?
Her heart stuttered in her chest, and she could taste the metallic bitterness of fear at the back of her tongue as she watched Everett jog around the curve in the path and towards the gate. She stood frozen at the top of the ramp, looking past him, waiting for Rush to follow behind him.
Young strode up the ramp and took her elbow, his face a mask of concern as he swiped at the blood trickling from a cut over his left eye. "What are you still doing here? I ordered you back to the ship with the rest of the team," he blustered, trying to pull her with him through the puddle.
"Where's Rush?" she cried. "Where is he!?"
"There was a rockslide. He didn't make it," he stated in solemn tones.
Belle stood her ground, digging in her heels as she looked back towards the area from which he'd come. There had been no rumbling in the terrain beneath her feet, no rising cloud of dirt and rock on the horizon which would have signaled such and she knew. She knew without the smallest hint of doubt that he was lying.
"You left him!" she shrieked, fighting off the stinging at the back of her lids. "How could you leave him!?" She pulled forcefully, trying to jerk her arm from his vise-like grip, but he held on. "Let me go, you bastard. Let me go to him!"
Young managed to pull her forward an inch or two towards the puddle. "No, we have to go now. The ship will be jumping back into FTL in less than two minutes."
A myriad of emotions fought for domination within her as she turned to snarl at the colonel, to spew the hate and loathing she felt for the man. She had a choice. She could return to the ship and find some way to deal with the loss of her Nicholas, or she could try to find him, save him. Her decision was simple in the end. She would happily give her life for him. The shock was like ice water flowing through her veins, but she couldn't deny it any longer … she loved Dr Nicholas Rush, and she wouldn't leave him to perish alone in this wasteland.
"Belle, we have to go!"
She relaxed her muscles and let him pull her forward, giving him a false sense that she would acquiesce to his wishes. His grip on her arm loosened to the tiniest degree and she struck, using the full weight of her body to swing up and pop him in the nose with her elbow. Her release was instantaneous as his hands rose to cover the injury. She took advantage of his surprise and kicked him through the puddle, his eyes wide with disbelief as he disappeared.
The gate hissed as the connection was broken and she didn't hesitate even a fraction of a second before she broke into a run, her muscles screaming as she pushed herself towards the last place she'd seen Rush. Tears streamed down her face and her lungs burned from the exertion, but she didn't stop. The sound of crunching gravel beneath her military issue boots was her only companion as she raced along the path.
A cry, reminiscent of a wounded animal, tore free from her chest as she spotted him lying on the ground and she spurred her feet to move faster. She dropped down to kneel next to him, shoving the pack from her shoulders, unable to bear the weight for another moment. He was still and unmoving, his poor face covered in blood and dirt from his fight with Young, and her hands reached out tentatively to touch his battered cheek. She felt for a pulse with shaking fingers, nearly sobbing when she felt it throb steadily beneath his jaw.
Belle sat back on her haunches, sighing deeply as her heart resumed a more natural tempo in her chest. She lifted his head into her lap and leaned over to block the sun from his face, mentally cursing Young to the seventh circle of hell for what he'd done. She carded her fingers through his dusty locks as her eyes scanned their surroundings, ignoring the niggling fear in the back of her mind that predicted certain doom if they remained where they were. The temperature was already dropping as the sun faded from the sky and she knew they'd have to find shelter soon to protect them from the elements.
Pain was the first thing he noticed, and a groan of agony escaped his chapped and bloodied lips as he returned to consciousness. A soft shushing sound and the tender stroke of fingers in his hair was not, however, what he had been expecting now that the events of the day were rushing through his mind. A soft hand cupped his cheek and he flinched away, almost afraid to open his eyes.
"Shh, darling, I've got you," the gentle voice crooned softly. A woman, his mind registered, and his eyes flew open in shock and disbelief … his woman, his Belle.
Rush struggled into a sitting position and turned to face her, praying she was real, and his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. But if she was truly real and not a figment of his imagination, it could only mean one thing. She was stranded there just as he was instead of safely aboard Destiny. He reached out a dusty hand to her, drawing back as it came in contact with the smooth rosy flesh of her cheek and a whimper of despair escaped his throat.
"Belle …"
She launched herself at him, winding her arms about his neck and burying her face in his shaggy hair. "Thank the gods," she cried, tears falling unchecked from her closed lids as she savored the feel of his arms around her. "I thought I'd lost you and then it took you so long to wake up," she sobbed.
He stroked his hands over her back, unable to resist pulling her closer, drawing on her inner strength to comfort him. "You shouldn't be here, love. Why didn't you go back to the ship as I asked?"
"I couldn't leave you, Nicholas." She drew away from him to meet his gaze her chest ratcheting with pain as she saw the fear in his eyes. "I promised I wouldn't leave you."
He rose unsteadily to his feet, pulling her up with him, not sure whether he wanted to kiss her senseless for caring enough to stay with him or shake her for disobeying. He kissed her.
"What do we do now?" she asked as he tucked her head beneath his chin and scanned their surroundings.
"We need shelter," he said, his eyes falling on the ship looming above them. "And apparently we've only one choice if we're to survive the night."
Belle retrieved her pack and slung it over her shoulder before threading her fingers with his and pulling him up the slope behind her. "Then I suggest we get started."
A/N: OMG I never thought I would finish this chapter! It's the longest yet and can I tell you it gave me no end of grief. However, writing the last two sections was freakin awesome! I really hope ya'll enjoyed it. Would love to hear your thoughts on it, so please drop me a line (o: I know I wrote my o/s "Desolation" based on episode 11, but with this fic, I'm going in a completely different direction. In the next chapter there will be tons of original stuff that completely deviates from the episode. Belle and Rush are about to have a lot of hardship ahead of them, but it's really going to make their feelings for one another stronger and allow them to grow. Thank you all so much for following this story. You all are just amazing.
