“Peterson?” Rodney looked around the lab for the young man, “Peterson?”
Annoyance filled him and he turned about to yell again when Miko appeared, “Do you know where Peterson is?”
The young Japanese woman handed him a page, “This email was just received, Dr McKay. He has resigned.”
“What?” Rodney grabbed the paper and started to scan it, “Family troubles?” he glanced at Miko, “I didn’t know he had any.”
Miko frowned, “I believe he has an elderly aunt but other than that I am unsure.”
Rodney rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Alright, Miko you know the projects he was working on?”
A bright smile lit her face; although she was qualified she had somehow ended up working as his assistant, “Yes.”
“Brief Ellis and Simons,” he told her, not seeing the disappointment on her face, “In that order. Simons isn’t ready for the first one.”
“Of course, Dr McKay,” Miko gave a gentle nod of her head before disappearing into the lab.
Rodney glanced back down and the email and scrunched it into a ball, tossing it into the nearest trashcan before heading into his office.
Rodney unlocked his computer and quickly sent an email to Sam requesting a replacement for Peterson before leaning back sighing. He couldn’t understand why he kept losing so many people from this project, why things kept going wrong when he was working in the state of the art lab.
To be honest it didn’t matter who worked for him but the fact they kept changing so quickly upset his work and the projects they were doing. It had got even worse when Radek left.
Rodney had trusted Zelenka above everyone else, which was an unusual thing for Rodney. The two men had become friends, as much as Rodney made them. As well as working on several projects, they would eat together while continuing to work.
Then one day, out of the blue Radek resigned by email and when Rodney travelled to the apartment Radek had lived, it was cleaned out.
“Dr McKay,” Sam’s voice shook him out of his thoughts, “Rodney, I’m sorry about Dr Peterson. I was sure he would be a good candidate to work with you. I’ll have a few new recruits for you by this afternoon.”
“Good,” Rodney nodded brusquely.
Sam reached out and gently squeezed his arm, “I’ll see you later.”
Rodney watched her leave before returning to his work – it was going to be a long day.
The day moved on and Rodney oversaw all the projects his team were working on while managing to get some headway on his own. As time moved on the lab emptied, people went home to see their family, or to get freshened up for dates and other things Rodney didn’t have any interest in. Checking his watch he knew he’d have to go home to feed his cat soon or it wouldn’t be happy.
“Dr McKay,” Miko poked her head into his office, “I am leaving. I shall take the file on the Artemis project to work on tonight.”
“Great,” he waved her away, still caught up in trying to work out when he’d last fed his cat. When her words finally filtered through Rodney groaned, he needed that file himself. As he walked into the now empty lab, Rodney frowned to find Miko was definitely gone. Annoyed he grabbed his jacket and started out. Rodney then had to go back to the lab to find out where the young woman lived but finally he was on the way to her apartment.
Rodney entered the pleasant sandstone building where Miko lived and entered the elevator. As he waited for the ascent to the sixth floor he went over in his head the new applications he’d scanned briefly around lunchtime.
When the doors finally opened Rodney wandered along the corridor, checking each door for the right number. Finally he found the right apartment and Rodney started to knock, worried when the door opened slowly.
“Dr Kusanagi?” Rodney called, swallowing hard as he could see inside the small apartment and what he could see looked worse than his place, “Miko, are you in here?”
Torn between running away, pretending he’d not been here and wanting to help the young woman Rodney closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath he slowly stepped inside.
“Miko?” he called again, reaching into his jacket to get his phone in case he needed to call for help, “Miko?”
The room was a mess, furniture overturned with papers, DVD’s and other various unidentifiable items were strewn around. A soft shuddering breath from behind the couch got Rodney’s attention; he slowly walked towards it terrified of what he’d find.
“Oh my God,” Rodney gasped as he found the young woman lying against a wall; her hand was pressed to a wound in her stomach.
Her eyes snapped open, “Dr McKay...”
“Just relax,” Rodney said shakily, he dropped down beside her and tried to think of what to do. After a few moments he pulled out his cell phone but before he could call an ambulance Miko caught his arm.
“Not yet,” she whispered; her breathing harsh as she gripped him tightly, “I need you to do something for me.”
“I have to call for help,” Rodney told her.
“No,” Miko reached into her pocket and pulled out a flash-drive, “I hid it on me so they couldn’t find it,” the young woman explained, “You must deliver it for me.”
“What?”
“Many lives depend on the information on this,” she told him, Miko placed it in his hand and stared into his eyes, “Promise me you will deliver it?”
Rodney wanted to turn and run away, he wanted to not have come after the stupid file but he was here and the young woman he had taken for granted was begging him to help her.
“Alright,” Rodney promised, “Tell me when and where, then I call the ambulance.”
Rodney climbed out the taxi; he numbly paid the driver before staggering into his apartment building. Miko had died three hours ago; the police had asked him about everything he remembered before finally letting him go home.
Once in his apartment Rodney ripped off his clothes and headed for a long hot shower. He’d held Miko until the ambulance had arrived, she told him his schedule for the next few days as they waited. As the small apartment was filled with police and medics, Rodney found he was sitting on the floor alone with blood covered hands before one of the detectives helped him off the ground. He closed his eyes as he stuck his head into the harsh hot spray for a few minutes before he managed to get out and dressed.
He had to honour her last wish – he just hoped he didn’t get himself killed doing it.
*********************************************
Miko had given him very precise instructions about where he was to go. Rodney followed them through the quiet streets wondering why he had never noticed the differences in the world since the Andurians had arrived. True the streets were cleaner and there seemed to be less crime but there was something about the calm that didn’t seem right.
Finally he reached the small hardware store he’d been directed to and taking a deep breath walked inside.
An old man stood behind the counter, watching warily as Rodney walked in, “Can I help you?”
Rodney took a deep breath, “I’m here to see Mr Burns.”
The old man simply stared at him and Rodney began to think he’d got it wrong before the other man gruffly asked, “Got an appointment?”
“It should be under Otto,” Rodney nervously rubbed his hands together.
The old man pushed a button beneath the counter and a door opened, Rodney walked through as the old man motioned him in.
Rodney looked around the small room, filled with boxes of stock wondering why he was here. As he was considering just going home he felt a gun press to his back.
Rodney gripped the flashdrive in his hand, desperately going over how he could get out of this.
“Where’s Miko?” the man behind him demanded.
Rodney swallowed, silently shouting don’t kill the messenger, “She’s dead.”
“What?” the man sighed, “Damn it, I told her to be careful. Who are you?”
“Dr Rodney McKay,” he said automatically, “Who’re you?”
The man laughed, “Yeah, right I’m going to tell you that. Have you got it?”
Rodney held up the flashdrive.
“Good,” the man said, “Now get out and never tell anyone about this. In fact it’d be best if you forget everything that happened.”
“What about Miko?” Rodney demanded, his anger overwhelming how scared he was, “I’ve to forget about her too? Forget that she died?”
“No,” the man told him, “Just what she died for.”
Rodney felt the gun leave his back and heard a door close, he turned to find he was alone again. The door he’d used to enter was open again and the old man was motioning him to leave.
Rodney looked around trying to find where the other man had disappeared to before leaving the shop and heading to work.
“Did you say Rodney McKay?” Radek asked as he inserted the drive into his computer.
John nodded, “That’s the name he gave me.”
Radek frowned before he hit a few commands into the computer and turned it to the other man; “Him?”
John nodded again, “That’s the guy.”
Radek grimaced, “It is a good thing we’re moving today. McKay works for Carter and he’s very loyal to her.”
“Is the information intact?” John motioned the computer.
“Yes,” Radek replied, “Miko gathered everything we needed. I wish it hadn’t gotten her killed.”
“Me too,” John sighed, “Me too.”
*********************************************
Rodney sat in front of his computer, the copy of Miko’s flash drive in his hand. He’d copied it just before he’d left for the drop and had waited all day so he could study the data. Rodney needed to know what Miko had died for, he needed to know what she’d been willing to die for but he was also terrified to find out the truth.
“Don’t be an idiot,” Rodney muttered to himself, he took a deep breath and opened the file. He stared as he saw the list of names, several of those he knew and had worked with him but every one of them had resigned. There was more information on where they were and he frowned as several of them were noted as being held captive within the Educational Complex.
“Impossible,” Rodney murmured, “They can’t be. She wouldn’t...”
As he sat staring at the computer screen in front of him, Rodney thought back over the past few years and suddenly things started to make sense to him.
Sam sat in her office annoyed that there had been such a huge breach in security. Miko Kusinagi had been such a quiet woman, smart and dedicated she had seemed perfect to work with McKay, the woman had even developed a crush on the idiot.
Sam couldn’t believe that the little mouse had been gathering information for O’Neill and his motley crew. As she stood over the woman, knife in hand, demanding to know where the stolen information was Miko simply looked up defiantly and laughed in her face. It was one of the reason Sam used the knife to kill her enemies so it was personal, so that she could see the look in their eyes when they knew she had won.
A knock on the door interrupted her, “Yes.”
“Dr Carter,” Fer entered the room, “Someone is accessing the classified files.”
Sam rolled her eyes, at least the new protocols put in place after Miko’s thievery were working.
“Who would be doing that?” she wondered as she accessed the computer herself, surprise filling her as she discovered the culprit, “McKay.”
Sam sighed annoyed, she knew he’d found Miko and called an ambulance for her but at no time did it occur to Sam that the mouse would have time to give the egotistical fool anything. Now she would have to get what she needed from McKay the hard way.
“Have a security detail meet me at Dr McKay’s laboratory,” Sam ordered, shutting off her computer and standing, “Dr McKay is becoming a permanent resident of the Campus.”
Rodney swallowed hard as he gripped the flashlight he held in his hand, he needed to find out if Peterson was being held prisoner. He knew that this was dangerous but he had to find out if it was all true, he had to know.
Rodney had found the entrance to the lower levels of the Campus and the thought of the young man who’d been working in the lab only a few days ago being trapped in a cell meant Rodney had decided to try a rescue.
“What the hell am I doing?” he asked himself as he slowly moved through the dark grey corridors, “What the hell am I doing?”
But despite the overwhelming panic filling him Rodney continued forward glancing every so often into the empty cells. Moving deeper into the underground structure Rodney shivered as he heard cries, longing empty cries of pain and anguish echoed through the halls and he wanted to turn and run but he was rooted to the spot. As he listened to the cries tears filled his eyes and he wiped them away. A sharp howl made Rodney jump and he recognised Peterson’s voice in the scream.
Pulling out the taser he’d stolen, Rodney hurried forward hoping he could do something to help the other man.
Sam stood in the cell with the latest scientist she’d had to remove from McKay’s team after discovering he had been in contact with a terrorist group. McKay was wandering through the corridors of Complex at this moment and Sam couldn’t help but smile in amusement at the foolishness of the egotistical ass.
“Wait until he enters the room,” Sam ordered the guard standing there, “Then disarm him.”
The guard nodded and ordered his team out of the room to their posts where they waited for the human.
Sam returned her focus to Dr Peterson and twisted the knife in his side, smiling as he cried out in pain again. She moved back slightly out of sight when she was warned of McKay’s arrival and watched as the idiot opened the door furtively.
“Peterson,” Rodney whispered to the young man, “Peterson, can you hear me?”
“He can’t,” Sam said as she walked forward, “But I can.”
Rodney bounced up and tried to retreat but was stopped by the guards entering the cell behind him.
“You shouldn’t be so curious, Dr McKay,” Sam stated smugly, “Look how much trouble it’s got you into.”
Rodney struggled against the Andurian guards as they forced him through the corridors, he couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid.
“Dr McKay,” Sam sat on the table in the cell he was shoved into, “I hope you like your new home, as you can see it’s been decorated especially for you.”
“How can you do this?” Rodney demanded, watching the weapon in her hand warily, “You’re human. You were a member of SG1. How can you do this?”
Sam laughed and ignored his demands, “The project you’re working on for me, Dr McKay is something extremely important and you’re going to continue your research.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Rodney spat at her.
“I expect results,” she continued as though he hadn’t spoken, “But I also know that despite your ego you’re annoyingly moralistic. So we have a small problem, don’t we?”
“Go to hell,” he snapped again.
“I believe a little persuasion is in order,” Sam motioned to the guards standing behind Rodney who grabbed him.
Rodney struggled, panic filling him as he realised he was being placed inside a small cupboard. He cried out as the door was slammed shut and he was trapped in the dark in the small confined space.
“Think wide open spaces, Dr,” Sam called to him mockingly, “Wide open spaces.”
Rodney sat against the wall in his cell, his legs useless because of what she’d placed in his back. Sam was punishing him because he’d deliberately given readings that blew out several power cells, something that would take weeks to repair. The device in his back was sending out a signal that stopped him from sleeping and right now he was within the third day of sleeplessness. He had no idea how long he’d been here and Rodney was beginning to think he was going to die here.
“Oh my God.”
The stunned whisper made him look over to the door where a familiar woman stood; it was the marine who had helped him move labs that day. As well as finding her attractive he’d been impressed by how intelligent she was, unlike the other one helping, she’d teased and laughed at him as she showed off her own quick mind. He tried to remember her name but couldn’t.
She was staring in at him, her hazel eyes wide with horror as Rodney stared at her silently asking her to help him. He could hear a soft voice in the background as she looked at him and after a few moments she broke eye contact turning away, Rodney saw her retreat before Sam appeared in her place smiling smugly.
Rodney felt the slight hope dispel as he knew he was never getting out of here.
Heliopolis Main Archive
A Stargate: SG-1 Fanfiction Site
Cuckoo In The Nest
by LE McMurrayKapitel Bemerkung:
Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.Sorry, all flashback again so you won’t know what’s happened to Rodney until the next chapter which I promise I am writing just now.
Enjoy
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