"I tried pressing the button, it wouldn't work!" McKay protested.
"McKay, all Alteran tech has to be initialized by an Alteran before it can be used." Alexander told him. "Low level tech, like this maintenance bot, will accept maintenance requests from non Alterans once it's initialized."
"But we haven't been able to get the chair to respond since you sat in it." McKay again protested.
"McKay, the control chair is not low level. It's the highest level in any city or ship. Only an Alteran can use it." Alexander looked at his scanner. "I'm reading only four people on this base who can use it. Looks like we have another family member, Corda."
"You, your wife and Major Sheppard?" Dr. Weir said. "Who's the fourth one?"
"I don't know. All the scanner shows is it's someone about three hundred and fifty feet from here, in the medical facility."
"We should go check." Dr. Weir. "As of right now we only have four medical personnel here and we do need to know who all can use the technology so we can figure it out."
Dr. Weir led Alexander and Corda to the medical facility, leaving McKay to study the maintenance bot. Once they entered, Alexander scanned the four people he saw in the room. They looked curiously at him, but didn't comment.
"That gentleman there, Dr. Weir." Alexander said, indicating a man in his early forties.
"Dr. Beckett?" Dr. Weir said.
"Yes, Elizabeth?" Dr. Beckett asked.
"Carson, this is Alexander Harris and Cordelia Chase of the Altimah Project. they're Alterans, Ancients as Dr. Jackson had named them."
"Ah yes, I did the genetic testing on you and General O'Neill. Finding a previously unknown gene is very exciting for me."
"You need to test yourself, Doc." Alexander said. "According to my scanner, you're the descendant of an Alteran."
"Oh, my. I'll confirm that right away. I guess that explains why everything in here turned on when I came in. I thought it was to help facilitate in the event of an emergency."
"It was responding to your genetics, but that is a benefit of it. Everything except the lights in this medical area can only be operated by an Alteran. With a little reprogramming we can change that." Corda said. "But for now, Dr. Beckett, this is truly your domain."
"Be aware, Doctor. Alteran tech has two components to make it work, the genetic key and a mental component. You need to learn how to interface your mind with the technology. The human brain functions faster then a computer. The technology can keep up with how fast your brain works. The Altimah Project has an expert on Alteran programming here on the outpost already, he's been checking the systems. We'll make the medical equipment's programming a priority and he can get to work on making it so all your medical personnel can use it."
"Aye, that would be most appreciated."
A sudden commotion had them all turning towards the door. Two of the guards from the checkpoint came in with an unconscious Dr. McKay being carried on their joined hands.
"What happened?" Dr. Weir demanded to know.
"He tried to access that fancy ship of theirs. It knocked him out." One of the guard's reported, as they set him on a biobed. Dr. Beckett immediately began an assessment.
"He really doesn't listen, does he?" Alexander said. "I warned him what would happen if he tried to access the Altimah without permission."
"What did happen?" Dr. Beckett asked.
"The security protocol activated. He got a big, nasty shock. No worse then a police stun gun would give him."
"Then he should been fine." Dr. Beckett said. "But I'll monitor him just in case."
Dr. Weir's lips were pressed together, she was angry. "Mr. Harris, may I speak with you in the hall, please?" No matter how politely she phrased it, it was definitely an order. Alexander had a pretty good idea what she was going to say and since he had a few things to say himself, just nodded and followed her out.
"Why the Hell did you do that?" She demanded to know.
"Do what?" He asked.
"Set the security protocols. Someone could have been killed."
"I set them on low level. No one was going to die. And it's standard protocol to secure anything when you leave it. You lock your house when you leave, don't you?"
"That's not the same thing!"
"No you right, it's not. The Altimah is an extremely advanced ship under my control. Dr. McKay was warned not to touch it without permission and he did it anyway. It was a lesson he needed to be taught."
"You did it on purpose?"
"Setting them is automatic, Dr. Weir. And I like I said, I warned McKay already and he tried to access it anyway."
"He was just curious!"
"He's not a child, even if he does behave like one. Why are you here, Dr. Weir?"
"I'm here to lead - ."
"Then lead. Stop indulging his temper tantrums. Stop letting him get away with bullying people. His nasty attitude and your lenience is breeding resentment around here. His attitude is ingrained, which means far too many people have let him get away with it. He's trouble, rein him in."
"Some allowances must be made for his intelligence."
"No, they don't. Samantha Carter is every bit as intelligent as he is and she doesn't behave like that. I work with two geniuses in the Altimah Project, while they each have their eccentricities, neither behaves like that. He got a shock this time, what happens the next time he just barrels in just because he wants to? Will someone die, before you give him the boundaries he needs? If you want to lead, then actually lead. And it's Captain, which is the equivalent of a Colonel in the U. S. Air Force."