Gates of Blood

Episode 2:

"Exodus" - Part I

Location: Aldeni System, Pegasus Galaxy

Flashback to 2010

Illuminations that usually flooded the command center had been mercifully extinguished by the shading of inner viewports. Light footfalls and their steadiness rested in the sheen of the central headquarters' flooring. Like spilled wine, semi-dark red from diodes glimmered, the reflections interrupted occasionally as Commander Woolsey slowly made his way around the room. His right hand did not know what his left was doing. Multiple decorations and mementos felt an absent caress; some were handled and only a few were returned to their original places.

The transmission screen had also been long since silent and empty, and the last words he had heard from the wraith commander on the other side echoed in his memory: "Remain in Aldeni, Mr. Woolsey. You will never see Earth alive if you do not. I will return."

Amidst the scramble to halt passage from the system, if the balm of silence had not been available to sooth the disbelief Woolsey allowed himself to process hour after hour that fateful day on Atlantis, he might have considered that he was no longer equal to the task of leading the City, much less defending Earth.

But that was not how the former IOA agent handled being thrust into astonishing situations. Nothing, of course, could have prepared him for the challenge of a second, galaxy-wide war with the wraith, save his years of experience walking on eggshells around Todd, and blasting hive ships to ribbons with the City's defenses after Carter was relieved of command. In the tensest moment, Woolsey had left Colonel John Sheppard to lead the ar teams while he sank into the uncertainty of a new era of command.

Multiple, miniature lights glimmered in the pools of two lenses. Woolsey slowly reached up to adjust his glasses, and the points moved dramatically. His dark eyes took in the expanse on one of the Ancient displays. One of Atlantis' six arms reached out into the star-sprinkled space of the Aldeni system like an aisle into an endless hall of mystery.

Woolsey finally convinced himself to settle in his chair without getting up again, and it took even longer for him to pick up his tablet. The one directory he did not want to open was titled, "Operation Vytrin- Wraith, Ruin, Rebirth." But at last he hit the icon.

There was no purpose in rereading the official babble of various IOA documents and approval ratings. And least of all did anything incline Woolsey to pore over coding charts, the contents of which were understood only by people like McKay and Carson Beckett. Woolsey proceeded to open the notes taken during one of the conversations that took place in the conference room, not long before Atlantis had cut contact with Earth and fled the Pegasus Galaxy for Aldeni. Colonel Carter had attempted to launch the new DSC battle-cruiser Cerberus to assist the Daedalus, but it was too late, and Colonel Sheppard blew up the second Midway foundation before Morrtra's forces could enter Lantea.

Woolsey began to read, skipping the introductory section.

Ritha Guider: "We've finally found a way to stabilize the second biological emulator."

Sheppard: "Wait…you did…? Rodney. Now who's keeping secrets?"

McKay: "Shush, don't start ruining the moment."

Carter: "How did you harmonize the viruses; if I remember correctly, one has no purpose without the other."

Ritha: "Dr. Jackson, please highlight the third display. Colonel, I do not call this a retrovirus because that is not what it is at all."

Beckett: "And nor is it gene therapy."

Carter: "Right, you extracted parts from the blueprints."

Ritha: "I repeat what I said months ago in case certain people…er, as you mentioned…accidentally shelved it; if disrupting wraith DNA and forcing it to comply with our wishes created so much havoc, why not simply use what is already available instead? The human supplement is now officially termed Vytrin I, and the wraith component is Vytrin II. Original, right? It's Wraith Ancient for "giving of life."

Sheppard: "I like it."

Ronan: "I don't."

Ritha: "Now, for the benefit of Colonel Carter, I'll re-summarize. Vytrin I is basically comprised of a potent de-stressing agent, an age-block simulator, an inducer based on wraith hibernation, and an inhibitor that reacts when life force is being extricated. It separates the life force of the body as a whole from that of the most vulnerable and valuable organs, mainly the brain and the heart. If life force is extracted, the brain will let go to preserve itself. The trauma of having life-force drained is obviously where the destressing agent comes in. We want it to interact with the agents of Vytrin II in order to create a slow, gentle extrication, taking the body's conserved energy, as opposed to that which keeps our functions running in the first place."

Beckett: "A booster might put too much strain on the human body. Zelenka came up with a replenishing agent after nearly blowing up the second science lab."

Zelenka: "You mean after the Iratus bug got loose and chased you because you tried to force it into hibernation…"

Dr. Jackson: "What?"

Beckett: "Forget it, please. Carter, don't smile too soon. This is a breakthrough now. We have prepared a booster test that combines with all forms of energy being extricated and stretches it to such a degree the wraith will hopefully be able to be sustained, making up the difference."

Ritha: "A replenisher's other purpose is to plant the seeds for humans' recovery. Now, we all know that a portion of the macrocnidea in the membrane base of a wraith's feeding organ deposits a mass in the victim, often resulting in the death of survivors. Part of Vytrin II is also being designed to prevent this mass from solidifying. It'll be allowed to separate on contact and evaporate, like sweat."

Sheppard: "Can you also come up with a way to make it less repulsive?"

McKay: "It doesn't stink that bad. V-II can hopefully be injected into both the wraith themselves and into an entire hive ship for the purpose of spreading it faster, but we need to test whether or not it can be safely combined with the hive fluid. The goal is for Vytrin II to cooperate with the enzyme glands in the feeding arm, allowing the wraith to inject an invigoration supplement from the macrocnidea in addition to the MT cells and a new type of auto-phage."

Ronan: "I'm glad we all understand what you just said."

McKay: "Just take a few hours and read the data. It's not Aristotle."

Ronan: "I pretty much only speak one language."

McKay: "I'll make sure to let Teyla know…"

Woolsey: "Gentlemen…"

Ritha: "Excuse me. Now, all aspects of V-2 are supposed to sync with V-I, allowing the human to stabilize and recharge, so to speak. The recovery process will require the person to eat, and of course, rest. Ideally, a human should be well fed and healthy before being fed on. As we know, life force is mined with the injection of one enzyme and Vytrin I should also provide immunization to its addictive properties, ejecting it from the victim's system over a period of time after the feeding process. Feeding time will be greatly lengthened, allowing the enzyme enough time to target the life force of the less important, predesignated regions of the human in addition to allowing the Vytrin I to interact. A smooth, harmonic exchange, and bonus point, a far gentler process. The theory is that we can extend it from fifteen seconds or so to nearly three minutes."

Ronan: "Did you try taking the V-1 without the wraith around or are you going to make one of us suffer and die?"

Ritha: "You seem a little too eager. And yes, I took an injection of Vytrin 1."

Woolsey: "Oh…that."

Ritha: "No side effects yet. It's been a few days. My blood samples came back looking well blended."

Dr. Jackson: "I see that your arteries didn't expand, at least. Would you like to consider the consequences of impulsiveness the next time you feel like injecting yourself with foreign compounds?"

Ritha: "Maybe."

Beckett: "I didn't move fast enough, I prefer not to talk about it again."

Carter: "Not a problem. I read your report before Daniel got here."

Ritha: "Now, Mr. Woolsey… besides the supplements and the subduing agents, here's the next step. We've begun weaving a stable code based on a wraith's regenerative properties. That's where the human will largely benefit. But we dare not test such a thing without Todd's help. We absolutely need him to assist us with coding and feed on willing test subjects. People who have never been affected by Michael's version of the Hoffan drug, for starters. I'd like it if we had several wraith involved. This will have to be done multiple times, so…we'll need committed test subjects and willing wraith Todd can vouch for."

Dr. Jackson: "It's going to take some time. Wraith don't want to be ruled and never will. You have to invite them."

McKay: "Grant them wine and cheese…"

Carter: "We're not looking to subjugate the Alliance. And how fast the wraith can become reapers rather than feeders will depend on how long it takes to produce enough Vytrin for only one hive. That could be a bigger feat than we'd like. Right, Rodney?"

McKay: "It also depends on how much is needed for one wraith depending on a variety of sizes and ages, and we need to determine if any of the Vytrin is lost or neutralized in the process of injections and feeding, whether it's put into hive veins or skin."

Woolsey: "Let's say it turns out well. It'll have to be distributed at an even rate to both races, strategically, and without a lot of publicity. I surely don't know what would happen if an unaffected wraith were to feed on a being injected with V-1, or if an affected wraith fed on an unaffected human."

Carter: "Very likely it would break the energy transference, and it wouldn't look pretty. Also, we don't know yet at what rate the changes for both races will take hold or if immunity is possible."

Ritha: "One more thing. Vytrin cannot be internally produced by humans."

Woolsey nodded. "I am not sorry to hear that."

Ronan: "I am."

Ritha: "I've laid off the idea of coercing an organ in a wraith's arm to "awaken" and start producing its own Vytrin. We don't need another cancerous affair. Injections of the Vytrin will have to take place on a regular basis and we'll need to show the wraith how to produce their own V-2."

Woolsey: "That will hopefully be Todd's department."

Sheppard: "If he agrees with all of this in the first place… which will, for starters, only imply that he thinks it can work."

The polished stylus dropped from his fingers to the desk surface, and Woolsey blinked. He didn't bother to read through the remainder of the document. No matter how he turned the issue in his mind, the best-option outcome was always the same. The smallest holes in the dyke of the Lantean defense had to be closed now, or never. Todd still had not been given any information about the Vytrin, and therefore Woolsey wouldn't have to deal with any of the wraith's potential drama over losing access to something that could stem the tide of Iratus once and for all. But Sheppard and Ritha would definitely protest most of all. Woolsey didn't want to push the little switch that would carry his voice to the science labs. His lined face shone briefly in the dull blue light of his tablet. "Dr. Beckett."

"Aye, sir."

"Send Guider up here."

"All right. She's savoring the results of positive scans on Zelenka. But his calorie intake increased by two."

"More bad news?"

"An accidental triumph," Beckett said. "Zelenka has lasted thirty-six hours on the V-1 without a single trace of a nausea wave. He's only slightly discolored this time."

Woolsey looked solemnly at the comm. "Marvelous. I need to see Ritha; we'll discuss this later."

Beckett paused. "All right. She's on her way."

Woolsey knew McKay would object to the newest development with some fine-toothed and long-winded arguments; Woolsey determined to shut doors and windows before the teams returned to the City. Sheppard had already guessed without being told.

Somewhere out there, in the regions of the unfamiliar and uncharted system of Aldeni where Atlantis hid, Sheppard was scouting with three equipped teams and two puddle jumpers. McKay, Lorne, and a fourth team were on the distant moon of Zatra, in an attempt to plumb the depths of its shady mysteries and a strangely lifeless Stargate. The isolated planet of Zatrana was the reason the satellite was still green and abundant with remarkable flora, and yet, the planet itself had apparently never been graced with a Stargate. Zatra was Woolsey's second-place concern, since Todd had spoken of it as "the place of punishment" and had elegantly refused to set foot on the ancient moon. Sheppard took precautions not to call Todd out for cowardice, for he knew that the wraith could be relied upon to retaliate. Besides, Todd was not in the mood for lying to Atlantis at this time in Pegasusian history; Sheppard might as well be nice to him for now.

John Sheppard was the first known Earthling to learn how to navigate the icy waters of a wraith commander's high sense of honor and influence over poor, simple humanity, and by 2008 Woolsey had followed in Sheppard's footsteps. And none too soon, I might add; the former was relieved of his natural terror of Todd within a year's time. Carter had been most outstanding in dealing with wraith, and many of the insectoid aliens concluded that human allies were still useful to their race, far beyond the Lanteans' expectations.

Woolsey insisted upon regular updates ever since 2009 and had not been refused a generous helping of them, for Todd could be relied upon to produce exquisite resumes. With Teyla present to discern whether Todd was being entirely honest, the conversations went very smoothly. The wraith commander had commented a number of times and in different ways on the fact that he was full of admiration to see the Lanteans so continuously tight-lipped about their back-burner plans. John Sheppard was also too proud to admit defeat and mentioned he was pleased Todd was still willing to submit himself to being monitored. Teyla kept the peace, and Woolsey had grown less fond of twitching during polite little spats. This served to adorn the private oasis of amusement for Todd, and all parties, excluding Ronan, "benefited", as McKay so aptly put it.

Woolsey checked his watch, and the motion was accompanied by a soft step on the outer landing. The woman was as punctual as ever. A second set of moving reflections entered the flooring.

"Well, Ritha," Woolsey said. He looked directly into her eyes. "I heard about Zelenka."

"He's in fine shape. Gosh, it's dark in here. Are you all right, sir? I didn't ask before. Did you hear from Colonel Sheppard about Thaz Remeir?"

"You usually like the dark. And I'm better than I was, thank you. Sheppard took out only five Genii and is returning with the last two prisoners he dares to take for the time being. Radim missed the mark again. Thaz escaped." Woolsey hesitated. "Sit down. Please."

Ritha stuffed the gloves she had peeled off her hands into her pocket and swiped a lock of dark hair off her brow. "Beckett confirms the V-1 integration is stable." She smiled a little. "We were kind of waiting for Zelenka to turn blue and choke again, but he's cool. He's not going to attempt tests again for a couple of days, I want to see how long his system circulates the V-1 at full strength. I think we've reached a point of no return, but we can't do more until the wraith are able to assist us. I really wish we could get them involved, starting now."

Woolsey looked down at her through the semi-darkness. "Ritha…"

"Still, the V-2 is coming along smoothly, it doesn't look like it's about to blow up…but the Iratus' reactions are still super sick…I can't figure how we're going to get the hive not to bleed out…"

"Ritha…"

"Eh?"

Woolsey hesitated. "You can put all those questions and concerns out of your mind for the time being."

After several seconds, Ritha's brow furrowed minutely. "What…what do you mean?"

"I'm calling off Operation Vytrin."

Ritha stared. "…what… what?"

"It's not permanent…"

"Wait. No…no, wait. Why are you doing this, sir? I swear we're ready to breakthrough, we can't ditch this now!"

Woolsey slowly turned to face the transparency that allowed him to view the Stargate. "With Morrtra on the move, we can't risk the Vytrin falling into the wrong… hands. Pun intended, I'm afraid. I still haven't told Todd about it."

"The pun or the Vytrin?" Ritha grumbled.

"Either."

He'll figure it out," Ritha groused. "What makes you think he never did?"

Woolsey turned back to face her. "Whatever the case may be, it is no excuse, I'm afraid. The war has taken too great a hold for me to allow you and the teams to continue experimentation further; it's time to shelve the Vytrin data and conceal it where, yes, even Mr. Tight-Lipped Todd would be least likely to think of searching for it, if he is so clever as to suspect in the first place that we're after the wraith in a different manner that we were before."

Ritha was on her feet, and she folded her arms gently. "Sir," she said quietly, "if we stop now, we'll never cure the wraith. They'll keep growing, they'll supplant their former strategies with their newest knowledge of the Lantean bases and upgraded defenses. They will take after Morrtra as their savior, and we will never see the light of day again. And neither will Earth."

Woolsey nodded. "You're right. If Morrtra were to gain intel, which is likely since she just revealed one of her locations, we would be defeated, perhaps forever, and Earth would be completely vulnerable."

Ritha just looked at him. "It usually is. Look at O'Neill, didn't he get to take all the risks?"

"I am not General O'Neill," Woolsey stated, ignoring her sarcasm.

"One of the reasons I chose to remain here was because of what I thought we could accomplish. How long will we have to wait until we can take up Operation Vytrin again? Instead of zipping the case shut, we could be secretly injecting Alliance wraith and exposing some of Todd's lingering hives to the V-2 before Morrtra has a chance to take notice."

"You know better than that," Woolsey said, not unkindly.

"I'm incorporating a failsafe that doesn't allow the Vytrin 2 to be decoded without the proper commands from myself, Beckett, and Zelenka."

"Yes, I know."

"Can't we just work in secret until this stupid skirmish is over?"

Woolsey resumed his seat and gestured for Ritha to take hers. "Please, let's not water down reality, Ritha. Let me put it this way. Who of all the wraith could decode Lantean fail-safes for Morrtra?"

"Todd wouldn't. Besides, there's no nanite parties for him to join."

Woolsey sighed. "If he has enemies within his ranks, as he did before, whom even he doesn't know about until the most inconvenient time, we're sunk. Entirely."

Ritha just looked at him.

"We're going to have to wait for a more opportune moment to introduce the Vytrin to the Alliance. Todd spoke to me just hours ago; he has discovered a way to induce Morrtra into some kind of bargain. You wouldn't believe what he did. He's a cunning, brazen old fool at all times…or the bravest fool I've ever seen. Time will tell. I didn't give him my warmest thanks."

"So Todd's in contact with Morrtra finally," Ritha murmured. "And he probably was well before he told you about it."

"Yes. Colonel Sheppard did not agree to endorse a public meeting with her second-in-command."

Ritha nodded slowly. "Big surprise. But at least we know Morrtra's loosening her tongue."

"She's doing it on purpose. Morrtra wanted to show herself to bait us, and Todd knows it. So much does he realize it that he has pretended to betray Atlantis to her and has cut off all contact with me."

"I bet."

"It leaves us in a blind that Todd will exploit; he thinks he can save us on his own, or he is setting the stage to draw us into an easier part of the conflict right when Morrtra thinks she's in the clear. Who knows what other nonsense he's cooking up now. Morrtra is twice as capable as he is. She knows his weakness is the City. If there is the chance he does not actually value our lives, she knows that at least he values the ship that carries them. His own second-in-command has left Sheppard's team without notice."

Ritha closed her eyes. "I knew it. Well…I'm…sorry, sir, I'm so…I can't believe this. We're so close."

"I don't want this any more than you do," Woolsey said. "The risk of interference is too great, and in the end, the Vytrin could either make or break the only wall standing between us and Earth, not to mention the remaining worlds that need Atlantis and the SGC to look to for defense. We ourselves don't have the SGC right now, remember."

Ritha looked out at the Stargate in an attempt to conceal one small tear that had formed in her right eye.

"Beckett will take care of informing your staff members of the cancelation, and he will resume his normal services," Woolsey said quietly.

"You already talked to him. I figured that, but I was in denial as usual," Ritha said stiffly. "I thought maybe he was just joking when he suggested I take a break. I wouldn't let him talk to me. Zelenka was insistent upon trying an injection one more time. I couldn't put it down."

"I informed them of the possibility of a shut-down a few days ago when Todd refused to contact Colonel Sheppard en route to Edowin, and left behind a damaged hive. But in case something changed, I didn't want to give you a reason to be hindered in your work while there was still a little time. Aldeni is safe enough for now. Beckett and you and Zelenka I trust to properly conceal the Vytrin. The less number of people who know of its placement, the better. You coded the foundations, you can integrate another failsafe in order to conceal it deep within the City. Two Earth days are what we have. Sheppard is returning with Radim this time."

Ritha nodded quietly. "Yes, sir." She looked into Woolsey's dark eyes.

"I was sorry to remove you from McKay's team," Woolsey added.

"Well, it was for the best; I can't say I've come up with a way to get tabs on exactly what Aldeni is until McKay comes back and spins yarns about how he was the hero after throwing himself through a wormhole and plowing up a hill of dirt in a three-point landing."

"I'm sure he'll bring back a novel," Woolsey said. "Meanwhile…" He stopped and cleared his throat. "I called you here to ask you about something else that I also discussed with Carson."

Ritha hesitated.

"Before the final clash that will soon come between us and the Morrtra fleet…I propose the unpleasant idea of having you and some of your associates put in stasis until it's all over."

"What am I, Dr. Weir the Second?" Ritha sighed. "I was planning on fighting this war with the rest of the City. In some way, however small. Just give me a dartship."

Woolsey peered drily over his glasses.

"And then I'll be killed and the Vytrin codes will die with me, I know, I know." Ritha frowned. "I see I have no alternative."

"No one is going to force you into it. Perhaps we can…"

"What other options are there?" Ritha said quietly, eyelids lowering. "I know my mind will be vulnerable. I don't even have Ancient blood. But I better be treated to an account of the entire battle should the city survive…which it's not likely to since the Vytrin is a no-go." She stood.

"Ritha."

"Yes, sir."

"Knowledge is power, but how you use that power defines whether you're good, or evil. I'm not applying that only to you. Consider what Morrtra would do with the Vytrin. She would turn you - yes, you - into another version of herself."

"What in the galaxy gave you that idea?"

"Not what. Who."

"Sheppard?"

"Yes. Morrtra didn't let Todd live for nothing when she breached his defenses last year. I didn't suspect her progress was so … widespread… until Sheppard got into that heated debate with Todd about not giving out the info we really need."

"I know," Ritha said drily. "I was there. McKay shut the jumper doors in their faces and told me to join him and AR-6 instead for a retreat on P0X-334. I laughed at him."

Woolsey leaned forward. "Morrtra's cloning abilities could turn you into the reverse of the Vytrin. If Todd knew of your work, he would have told me the same thing…perhaps in exchange for another ZPM. That's what Colonel Sheppard supposes."

"Todd's arrogance is beyond unbelievable," Ritha said quietly, and then turned to look at the Stargate. "It's his doing that the Vytrin must be silenced."

Woolsey didn't bother to dismiss Ritha or ask that she follow protocol. Accustomed to her occasional drama, he leaned on the desk. A shadow flitted out of view as Ritha left the room… as quietly as a wraith.

When Ritha entered the lift to the science labs, she was locking her jaw, trying not to say bad things to the walls. Her ID card slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. Crap. Why the Vytrin? Why now? Why did this have to happen now? She wiped a hand down her face, sighed again, and then paused. She found herself staring up at a transmission display in a long-ago memory, and once again she heard John Sheppard's voice announce that it was "now or never." The alter-reality Todd fell upon him with a drawn knife. And then Todd himself had taken the blade in his gut at the same instant he stabbed his alter-reality self. Ritha had remembered nothing more until she woke up in the infirmary. The towering shadow of Todd filled her blurred vision. Echoes, as of voices in the deep, flitted in her subconscious. "I have awoken once. But not twice. Not yet. How was I meant to… if I was meant to…in the first place?"

Beckett had half-whispered something that had sounded like, "I almost didn't think you'd be able to do it." Ritha had no idea how Todd had responded but she never bothered Beckett for an explanation or asked why she had nearly died. And nor had she herself ever talked to Sheppard about the scar on her brain that had baffled McKay until he was unable to concentrate on anything without drinking twice as much beer as he usually did.

Ritha watched the doors glide open, and she strode into the medical bay. "Dr. Beckett, I have some words for you."

"Don't explode," Zelenka said, rising from his station. "And yes, me too, I'm really, really sorry…"

"You're sorry. Well, I won't mind being put in stasis, I've been there before. At least I won't know it if we lose the war."

Zelenka grimaced. "It's not forever."

"Did Colonel Sheppard really have to throw the wrench in?"

Beckett pulled off his gloves. "Well, Ritha, that's his job, and you be grateful for it. I was sure this would probably happen. I tried to tell you. But you stuck Zelenka with another dose."

Ritha ignored this. "Well, I hope to say, "it was nice knowing you" to Sheppard and Ronan before I go to sleep. Deadline is in forty-eight hours. There's time; besides, I have to help lock in the codes. I can think of a few places in Atlantis besides yours that will be more than sufficient, but let the Operation die with me if that's what's needed." Ritha frowned to contain the tears that threatened to spill.

"We're none of us going to die, not with me in the Chair, lass."

"Mr. Woolsey knows what he's doing, he always does," Zelenka affirmed quietly, fiddling with his stylus. "He's not going to tell you all of it just yet. Nor even me. I might have to be in stasis too if things get bad enough."

"Does Teyla know?"

"Oh, heck no. She still hasn't located Halling, either."

"What?"

"I know, I'm tired of this game. Sheppard's going to join her after he leaves the City again."

"Good luck to Ronan on an intra-city stroll. Ok; sorry, I need a break." Ritha said quietly.

"Just give me the locations you thought of for the Vytrin and then you're off duty anyhow," Beckett said, looking sympathetically into her eyes. "What's your preferred password?"

"Vulpez," Ritha said, glancing around at the dull blue glow of the med bay. "Code it in Old Nordic so the wraith won't be able to access Ancient roots. Just call me when you're ready for it. Zelenka, is yours Czech?"

"Yep. Zitra. Cross-coded with Athosian."

"And Beckett's is Scottish, or my name isn't Ritha."

"Ohh, you bet your sweet life it's not," the doctor said. "Before we closed off Earth, Dr. Jackson suggested coding upside down, and reversing the roots. Stonehenge-related, and runes. Not a smidgen of Ancient. And I'm not giving it to you two. Also, remember the other failsafe?"

"I wish I hadn't come up with one."

"But you do," Beckett said. "Which part do you want to take with you?"

"V-2, the second half. Insert the chips into skin grafts inside my elbows," Ritha said quietly.

Beckett sighed. "All right. Fine. You want it, I'll do it. Just don't insist on linking your amygdala because that's not going to happen."

"Yes, master. Also, the wraith translators could still decode portions from your codes."

"That's where our group command symbols comes in," Zelenka said, flipping through his tablet icons. "Surely the wraith will only understand only one thing when we say, "Ten seconds till self-destruct." Rodney thought of that one; he also suggested, "Hold on to your ugly butts." Mr. Woolsey said, "no thanks" to that one."

"Trust McKay to negotiate," Ritha smirked.

"Ah, a smile at last," Beckett teased, handing fresh V-1 syringes to one of his assistants.

"Involuntary," Ritha shot back weakly, and she turned to leave. She couldn't bear to see the med bay without another test of the Vytrin going on.

Her words ended one of the last conversations she ever had with the Lantean heroes before she was put into stasis during the remaining days of the Morrtra War. John Sheppard and Ronan recalled often in the days ahead her parting words to Atlantis: "If the wraith do not rise, Earth will fall."

Ronan spent many a moment grumbling about how Ritha just didn't appreciate what the wraith had done to Sateda, but that was more his way of saying he missed her at sparring sessions. Sheppard took more seriously Ritha's foresight into strange matters he usually didn't care to look into; namely, what the wraith used to be. The Vytrin-2 codes rested inside some epidermis of Ritha's crossed arms and Dr. Beckett and Zelenka sealed the Vytrin-1 secrets inside a replica of Dr. Weir in a lower corridor only they and Woolsey could access. Weir's statue was not yet complete and would only be worked on again after Morrtra was dead. Truly…dead.