Major John Sheppard sighed. He was completely and utterly bored. They had arrived on the planet Argos two days ago and were just completing the final steps in a trade agreement. Deciding that he wasn't much of a negotiator, he had decided to let Teyla and McKay work out the details with the local inhabitants, with the understanding that he still had to get everything approved by Dr. Weir.
Of course, this left one very bored major with nothing to do. He was on his second walk around the city since they had arrived, scoping the landscape for anything suspicious and just admiring the view in general. Not that there was anything spectacular about the planet, except maybe what was left of the ancient temple in the center of its main city. The temple had obviously seen better days, but that wasn't the reason they had decided to take this mission. They were more interested in the vast fields of crops that surrounded the city.
"Ah, the fabulous life of an intergalactic adventurer... Visiting ancient buildings and gathering crops..." John muttered to himself. And then his radio clattered to life.
"Major, we have concluded our talks. The Argosians wish us to join them at their temple to complete the trade agreement." Teyla was always succinct with her reports.
"Understood. I'll be there in five." He changed direction and headed back the way he came, his destination clearly visible above the surrounding hills. A few minutes later, he was standing next to his team in front of the massive stairs leading to the temple entrance.
"So, everything went well I take it?"
Ford smiled at him in greeting and replied, "Yes, sir. They've agreed to give us a good portion of their crop in exchange for some medical supplies and equipment."
"Good. Then I'm just in time for the party."
"Major!" McKay interrupted. "This is a serious ritual to these people. Can you at least pretend to take it seriously?"
"Alright, alright..." Sheppard raised his hands in mock defense. "I can be serious." He missed what McKay muttered under his breath, but he had some idea since Ford was obviously trying hard not to laugh. "What do we have to do?"
McKay studied the major for a moment, trying to decide if he was actually ready to take the situation seriously. "They said," he paused, obviously trying to remember the exact phrasing, "'Your leader must sit in the throne of the gods and be judged.'" He was slightly surprised to see Sheppard suddenly look horrified at the concept.
"The last time I did that, I ended up getting dragged off to another galaxy." For the first time since arriving on Argos, he had a feeling that something wasn't quite right.
"I'm sure it's just a figure of speech, sir," Ford added. "We haven't found anything to suggest the Ancients had an outpost here."
"Major," Teyla interrupted, realizing they had been standing at the base of the stairs for a while, "should we not join the elders in the temple?"
They were greeted at the entrance by the village leader Hanaan. "Major Sheppard. I am pleased that our people have reached an agreement. All we require is the blessing of the gods to proceed with the trade."
"Of course Hanaan," he replied, trying to peer into the darkened interior of the temple. The torches on the walls cast strange shadows on the large chamber making it hard to see what lay inside. "If you would just lead the way..." he added, sweeping his arm to indicate the temple.
The other man nodded and quickly stepped into the chamber. Sheppard took two steps inside and groaned. "McKay!" he muttered under his breath, knowing the scientist could hear him. The entire room had immediately lit up upon his entrance, much like Atlantis had when they first arrived.
"It must be reacting to the gene. I'm getting some energy readings from an object ahead of us." Sheppard noted with amusement that he hadn't even looked up from his scanner during his reply.
"Uh, sir..." Ford said, getting a better grip on his P-90. "I don't think this is a regular occurrence."
Sheppard gazed around and realized what he meant. There were several dozen villagers that had gathered in the temple to view the ritual and they were all currently staring at the small group, their expressions a mixture of awe, shock, and perhaps fear. Even Hanaan's mouth was slightly open as he stared at the team and the now brightly lit interior.
"It is a sign from the gods!" he suddenly exclaimed, raising his arms in praise. The team silently agreed that it might be in their best interests to not correct that assumption. "Come, the Judgement must begin immediately!" The man then excitedly indicated that the major should sit on the stone chair at the head of the room.
However, the major was sure that was the last thing he wanted to do right now. Something was off... He carefully studied Hanaan and the other village elders that had gathered around him. He could tell they were surprised at what had happened so far, but he could detect nothing but good intentions in their request. Nothing indicated that this was some sort of trap.
Teyla stepped beside him and quietly whispered, "If you do not do something soon, they will surely be offended."
John sighed in agreement. Then he pulled the strap for his gun over his head and handed the weapon to Ford. He nodded to the village leaders and cautiously approached the chair. He reached out and touched the arm. When nothing happened, he glanced back down at his team. They each shrugged at his questioning glance. They were just as confused as he was. "All in the name of food..." Then he turned around and sat down on the chair.
He was immediately engulfed in a bright flash of blue light.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dr. Rodney McKay nearly had a panic attack when the room erupted in a flash of blue light. He thought for sure they were all going to die right then and there. Then the moment passed and the chamber was plunged into darkness. The only source of light was the dim torches hanging on the wall and McKay's scanner.
"Major, you alright," Ford called out while struggling slightly to free his flashlight from his belt. There was no response. "Major Sheppard?"
Finally, a voice responded. "Yes..." was the hesitant reply.
Ford, having finally retrieved his flashlight, aimed the beam at the major's location. He was still seated on the chair and didn't look any worse for wear, except maybe for the dazed expression on his face.
The lieutenant then turned his attention to the team's resident scientist and, by default, source of all information regarding strange alien technology. "What just happened?"
"How would I know? I've never seen anything like that before!" he shouted in reply, still shaken from his most recent near death experience. "There was a massive energy surge and then the power levels just dropped off the charts. Whatever happened must have drained the last of the energy that was powering this place."
"Has this ever happened before?" Teyla calmly asked Hanaan, hoping that the locals would have some knowledge as to what happened.
"No, never..." he whispered in reply, not once taking his eyes off Sheppard. Then his eyes lit up in excitement. "You have been chosen by the gods! They have performed this miracle to show us that you are their messengers!" Hanaan then kneeled in awe and bowed towards the ancient throne. The other villagers quickly followed suit.
Ford took one step back in shock. "How did these situations always get so far out of hand?" he thought. Then he remembered his team leader and took the last few steps to stand beside the strange chair. "Uh, sir... what should we do?"
Sheppard just stared back at him, his eyes seemingly focused on some distant point. Then he blinked and shook his head in confusion, as if just realizing that there were events transpiring around him. "We should leave," he declared in a calm voice before standing and reclaiming his weapon.
He then walked over to where Hanaan was still kneeling on the temple floor. "We must return home. We will send others to retrieve the items for the trade in a few days."
Hanaan simply nodded his head enthusiastically. "Of course, whatever you wish."
Rodney stared at the major as he then turned and walked briskly towards the exit. He had to jog to catch up to him. They both arrived at the base of the stairs at the same time, Ford and Teyla right behind them.
"Wait. We're leaving? Just like that?"
Sheppard nodded his head once. "Yes." Then he turned to his other teammates. "Come, we are returning to the Stargate."
McKay noticed that the major paused slightly on the last word, as if the Stargate was an unfamiliar term to him. But he didn't have time to dwell on that thought since their leader had taken off again, walking steadily towards the location of the gate.
Ford and Teyla were also confused by the major's actions. He had failed to give them instructions for the return trek to the gate. Their leader may be lax when it comes to certain rules, but he was never negligent when it came to the safety of his team.
In the absence of orders, the team quickly fell into the same formation that had assumed when they arrived: McKay following Sheppard, then Teyla, and then Ford bringing up the rear.
McKay contemplated the most recent series of events for a whole seven minutes before deciding he had had enough and was determined to find out what was going on with Major Sheppard.
"Are you sure you're okay Major?"
"I'm fine," was the curt reply.
"So what was it like?"
The abrupt change in conversation seemed to confuse the major. He turned and looked at McKay. "What?"
"The light. Did it make you feel... different... in anyway?"
"No. I felt nothing."
"Sir, I have to admit that it does seem like something happened to you. You're acting... weird..." Ford added, agreeing silently with Rodney's assessment.
Sheppard turned his gaze to the young officer and Aiden was surprised to see anger in his expression. "Are you questioning my authority to lead this team?"
"I wasn't saying that, sir. I was just trying to make sure you were okay."
"You have doubts, Lieutenant?" The major was now extremely agitated.
Teyla jumped into the conversation, hoping to diffuse the rising hostility. "Major Sheppard. We are just concerned for your well-being. Lieutenant Ford meant you no disrespect."
"We must return to the Stargate," Sheppard replied, trying to get his team members to continue their trek.
"Not until you answer our questions, sir." Ford replied, suddenly wary of his commanding officer.
"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear." In a moment, the major had drawn his sidearm and was aiming it at Teyla. "We will return to the Stargate."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lieutenant Aiden Ford was shocked to see the major draw his weapon and point it at Teyla. He quickly raised his P-90, appalled that the situation had dissolved into this moment. "What are you doing Major?"
He was horrified at the grin that appeared on the other man's face. "I'm just providing a little motivation. You have ten seconds to start moving towards the Stargate before I pull the trigger."
"I can't let you do that sir." Ford reluctantly aimed his weapon at a man he considered a great leader and friend. He glanced quickly at his other team members. He noticed Teyla was taking all of this in stride while Rodney looked like he might pass out any minute.
"You do what you have to do Lieutenant."
It's amazing how ten seconds can seem to last an eternity, especially when standing around waiting for someone to pull the trigger. Ford had made it to eight-mississippi when Sheppard suddenly keeled over, screaming in pain.
Teyla immediately grabbed the 9mm from his hand, along with his P-90, and threw them over to where McKay was standing. Then she kneeled on the ground, trying to find out what was happening to the major.
"John, what's happening to you?" she asked, trying to pry his hands away from his head to see if he was injured in some way.
"Get it out! Get it out!" he screamed.
"Get what out?" Ford asked, unsure of what was afflicting their leader.
"Its...in my head... I can't stop it..." He turned his attention to Teyla. "I didn't... want it... to hurt you." He was now gripping his head tightly and gasping for breath.
"What can we do to help you?" Teyla asked calmly. She hoped she would find a way to somehow relieve the pain he was feeling.
"Make sure... I can't hurt you... Ford... in charge... I've been... compromised..."
"We will find a way to help you John. I promise." Teyla replied. Then she reached for her pack and dug around until she found a short length of rope. She then used it tie the major's hands behind his back.
McKay finally found his voice. "Is that really necessary?"
"You want him pointing a gun at one of us again?" Ford replied. He was just as upset about the whole situation as McKay, but he understood what needed to be done. They needed to keep the major under control until they could get him back to Atlantis to get help.
McKay shook his head. "But... this just seems wrong..." He couldn't imagine being so completely out of control of one's self.
Teyla finished just in time. Sheppard's body was suddenly in motion as he tried to strike out at the nearest target. The Athosian easily dodged out of the way and left a frustrated major lying on the ground.
He smiled in obvious amusement at his predicament. "A challenge... I haven't had this much fun in millennia."
Realizing that the major had lost control once more, Ford began to interrogate the thing that now inhabited his body. "What are you? What do you want with Major Sheppard?"
Still lying somewhat awkwardly on the ground, the entity surprisingly responded. "There is no word in your language for what I am. I could explain it to you, but I doubt you would understand. As for what I want..." It paused for a moment and then laughed. "You'll have to figure that one out on your own."
Any further questions were silently ignored. Ford reluctantly gave up. He considered their limited options and decided that they needed to return to Atlantis. "Alright, get up," he ordered, indicating his weapon as extra incentive.
McKay instinctively moved to help him, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. Teyla softly whispered, "You must not go near him. He is still quite capable of harming you."
Ford nodded to indicate that Sheppard should go first and then followed him at a safe distance, his gun aimed steadily at the man's back.
McKay hurried to catch up. "Lieutenant, are you sure about this? We're giving it exactly what it wants, a trip through the Stargate."
"I realize that. But I don't see any other choice. We can't help him here." Ford paused for a moment and then added, "I'll make sure Atlantis knows what's going on and secures the gate room for our return. I don't want this thing getting loose in the city."
McKay nodded in agreement. He wasn't happy with it, but it was the only option they had.
A tense yet uneventful forty-five minutes later, the group was assembled in front of the gate. Teyla kept her weapon pointed at their captive while Ford punched in Atlantis's address. Then he raised his radio to deliver the news. "Atlantis, this is Lieutenant Ford. We have a situation."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dr. Elizabeth Weir was surprised to see Major Sheppard's team reporting in four hours early. She hoped it was just to say that negotiations had wrapped up early, but with this team's track record, she had a feeling that wouldn't be the case.
"Atlantis, this is Lieutenant Ford. We have a situation."
She silently groaned. Of course they would have a situation. "Go ahead Lieutenant," she replied, hoping it was something minor for once.
"We need you to secure the gate room and have a medical team standing by." There was a pause in the transmission as Ford contemplated how to best break the news. "Major Sheppard's been compromised."
Struggling to keep her emotions from showing, she hurried to reply. "Compromised how?"
Ford took a moment to consider the question. He wasn't even sure he had an answer. "There seems to be something controlling him. He threatened to shoot Teyla and we had to restrain him."
Weir was constantly amazed at how much trouble this group seemed to find even in a galaxy as vast as Pegasus. She looked out over the balcony of the control room and noticed that the security personnel were in place and Dr. Beckett was standing off to the side with a small medical team. "Understood Lieutenant. We're ready for you on this end."
She watched as Dr. McKay was the first to step through the wormhole. He looked up at her position and she saw frustration and confusion clearly written on his face. Next through the gate was Major Sheppard, his hands tied behind his back, followed by Teyla and Ford, each pointing their weapons squarely at him.
She tried to study the major's face to see if she could notice anything different. Currently, he was smiling in delight, almost like a kid in a candy store. Then he noticed all the raised weapons pointed in his direction and the expression quickly turned to barely controlled rage.
"Lieutenant, what happened out there?" she asked once she had descended the stairs from the control room. "I thought you were just negotiating a simple trade agreement?"
"The Argosians agreed to our trade demands, but they wanted Major Sheppard to take part in one of their rituals. They said all he had to do was to sit on a chair in their temple and let their gods judge him." Ford replied, never once taking his eyes off his target.
McKay interrupted at this point. "Of course, nothing is ever that simple when it comes to the major... The temple seems to have been built using some Ancient technology. The whole place lit up as soon as he entered."
"You mean like Atlantis did?" Weir asked, trying to understand what he meant.
"Exactly Dr. Weir," Teyla replied.
"To make a long story short," Ford continued, "the major sat in the chair and was engulfed in a blue light. That's when he started acting weird. He rushed us out of the temple to head back to the Stargate. We realized something was wrong and when we confronted him, he pulled his gun on Teyla. The major regained control for a short period of time, but we haven't been able to get the entity to let us talk him since then."
Weir nodded her head, absorbing the short explanation. Then she turned her attention to whatever it was that had taken over Major Sheppard's body. "Do you have a name?"
"Major John Sheppard," it replied.
"I know that's not your name. There must be something we can call you."
"You may call me whatever you wish. But whether you like it or not, for the foreseeable future, I am John Sheppard. Now, I insist that you let me go immediately."
"You know I can't do that."
"Hey," Ford added, "in case you didn't notice, you're in no position to be making demands."
The entity smiled. "Oh, I disagree. I think I'm in the perfect position to be making demands. I have the perfect bargaining chip."
"And that would be?" Weir asked, dreading the answer but needing to ask the question.
"One human life." And for the second time that day the major collapsed on the group, screaming in agony.
She was frozen in place, unable to comprehend what was happening and what she could do to stop it. She heard Dr. Beckett yelling at her to let him help and she felt herself nodding her consent. He was at the major's side in a heartbeat and quickly injected him with a sedative. The screaming stopped moments later leaving the man lying still on the cold floor.
"Is he...?" she heard herself say.
"His pulse is strong but erratic. I won't know more until I can get him to the infirmary," Beckett replied, already preparing his patient for the short trip.
"Do it. Let me know if you need anything."
Then they were off, Major Sheppard lying prone on a stretcher and his team quickly following the small medical team down the hallway.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Teyla Emmagan watched silently as the monitors showed the steady up and down rhythm of the man lying on the hospital bed beside her. It had been six hours since they had returned from Argos. It was nearly seven hours since this whole ordeal had begun. And they still weren't any closer to finding out what was going on. The major had remained unconscious since he had been given the sedative. Even though Dr. Beckett assured her he would wake up soon, the tiny voice in the back of her head was still whispering words of doubt.
After the mad dash to the infirmary, all hell had broken loose. Medical staff was rushing about conducting various tests and hooking up a wide assortment of machines. Teyla, Ford, and McKay had huddled in the far corner, hoping they wouldn't be noticed so they could continue to observe what the staff was doing. Occasionally, Teyla would quietly ask about a particular machine's purpose and either man would offer a short explanation. She stopped asking after the third one. She decided she didn't really want to know.
Finally, Dr. Beckett walked over to his silent audience. He sighed and prepared himself to break the news. "Well, the good news is that he's stable. The sedative seems to have calmed him down and he doesn't appear to be in any pain. All of our tests are showing everything is normal."
"Wait a minute," McKay interrupted. The half-eaten candy bar in his hand was momentarily forgotten. "How is that possible? There's obviously something wrong with him."
"That's the bad news. We know there's something wrong, but we have no way of testing for it. This is Ancient technology we're dealing with it. Who knows what it's done to the major."
After much arguing, the trio was finally convinced to leave the infirmary for a few hours. They quickly debriefed with Dr. Weir since everyone was too distracted to dwell on recent events for long. Teyla then managed to get Ford and McKay to go eat something while she took first watch with Major Sheppard.
When she had first entered the room, she had been drawn to the major's pale face as he lay on the bed. Even though the doctor had assured he wasn't currently in any pain, he still looked stressed. She found herself softly humming a few of the songs she sang to the Athosian children to comfort them at night as she sat next to his bed.
She was startled when a voice came from behind her. "Hey Teyla. I brought you something to eat."
Smiling in appreciation, she eagerly took the offered plate. "Thank you Lieutenant. I had forgotten."
He smiled at the praise and then promptly sat down in the chair he had brought with him. Teyla was amused to see that it was a rather nice office chair like the ones in the science labs. She briefly wondered who he had confiscated it from.
"McKay should be here shortly. I think he was just finishing up his third desert."
She nodded, but soon found her attention drifting back to the major.
"How's he doing?" Ford asked softly, as if afraid he might disturb the object of his inquiry.
"The same. Nothing has changed, for better or for worse."
The young man leaned back in the chair, exhausting suddenly showing on his face. "I'm not really sure this situation could get much worse."
Just then, McKay appeared in the doorway. He had a cup of coffee in his hand and a laptop clutched underneath one arm. "So, how is he?"
"Still unconscious," was Ford's reply.
The scientist merely nodded, anticipating this response. Then he headed over to the small table next to the bed. He swept a few small items to the back of the surface and set up his computer. Then he snagged the only other chair in the room with his foot and dragged it over to the table. Soon, the only noise in the room was the gentle beeps of the medical machinery and the clacking of the keyboard as McKay worked to find some answers of his own.
She had started to drift off to sleep when she first noticed it. The major's hand had moved. "Ford, go get Dr. Beckett. I think he's trying to wake up."
Ford was on his feet and out the door in an instant. By the time he returned with the doctor, Sheppard was already trying to open his eyes. He shut them immediately after encountering the bright white infirmary lights. Dr. Beckett quickly reached over to one of the panels on the wall and the lights in the room dimmed to almost half strength.
The first thing he saw upon reopening his eyes was a feminine face with an extremely concerned expression.
"John?" she asked, hoping the major was once more in control.
"What did you do to me? I should kill him for this!"
Teyla slowly backed off, knowing that the entity had surfaced once again.
Dr. Beckett stepped forward cautiously. It was very disconcerting to be frightened of your own patient, especially since that patient was a very good friend. "I gave you a sedative to make you sleep for a while. You were causing too much stress to Major Sheppard."
"Do not do it again," it replied, emphasizing its newest demand with a glare that could melt ice.
"I won't unless you force me to. We just want to talk to you." The doctor was saved from having to continue his strange conversation by the entrance of Dr. Weir.
"You can threaten all you want," she began, moving to stand directly in the major's line of sight, "but I cannot risk the lives of all the personnel on this base to save the life of one man. The only way any of us will get what we want is if we agree to have a civilized negotiation."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was confused by their leader's words. Surely they would not follow through with them. Would they sacrifice this man's life, who obviously means very much to them, for the 'greater good'? Perhaps it didn't understand humans as well as it thought. It had been a few thousand years since it had talked to one. And these humans were different than those on that tiny planet. That was why it had chosen this one in particular. It was like the ones who had come before.
"Very well, so you wish to negotiate. What do you desire in this agreement?"
Weir did not hesitate in her response. "We want Major Sheppard returned to us unharmed. And you?"
"I want many things. But for now, I wish to explore the many worlds connected through the Stargate. It has been ages since I have left Argos."
"And you need Major Sheppard to do that?"
It avoided answering that particular question by asking one of its own. "Where are the keepers of this city?"
She was confused by the question. "You mean the Ancients?" At the major's nod, she continued. "They have not inhabited Atlantis for thousands of years. We have yet to encounter one in our travels." She paused, finally realizing the implications of the question. "You knew the Ancients?"
"Yes. I knew several members of their race. My people and theirs had an agreement of sorts. They would provide the occasional host and we would in turn provide them with energy to power their technology."
"You're saying you're some sort of power source?" McKay asked.
Again, it nodded. "Something like that."
"Of course. It makes perfect sense. That would explain why the energy signature in the temple disappeared after Major Sheppard sat in the chair. You were what was powering that temple." He then rushed over to his laptop and punched a few buttons. A screen appeared displaying two energy signatures. McKay pointed to the top one. "This is the energy signature I recorded from the temple." Then he indicated the second one. "And this is the signature I am picking up from Major Sheppard right now. It's very faint, so I didn't know it was there until I realized what to look for." Both signatures matched perfectly.
"But that still does not explain how it is able to control Major Sheppard," Teyla replied.
The entity shook its head in disappointment. "I knew you wouldn't understand."
Ford, who had been silently observing the entity, suddenly smiled and proclaimed. "I get it. You're a ghost."
All heads turned to look at the young man like he had suddenly sprouted wings and a pair of horns.
"What?" he asked. He had no idea why everyone seemed to think he had lost his mind. "Think about it. It obviously has thoughts and feelings and emotions. It got angry when we wouldn't return to the Stargate. It has enough consciousness to be holding a conversation and making demands. And it has no physical form of its own. Makes sense to me."
McKay, still expressing a look of disbelief, decided to debunk the lieutenant's theory. "And what about the energy signature? There's never been any scientific proof of the existence of ghosts, so why would be able to detect the presence of one now?"
"Haven't you ever watched those ghost hunter shows on TV? Sometimes they are able to detect ghosts as a brief flash of electricity or heat. Just because you don't happen to believe in ghosts doesn't mean they don't exist."
"Wow Ford, I didn't know you had such lousy taste in programming."
Before the debate could continue any further, the major's voice interrupted. "He's actually right. At least, that's probably the best explanation for what my people are."
All heads turned back to the man lying on the hospital bed. The major looked just as confused about it as everyone else.
McKay seemed to be having a difficult time grasping this most recent revelation. "So... you're what? A living power source?"
"Not so much a power source, exactly. More like a source that provides power." It paused in its explanation, wondering why it was revealing any of this in the first place. "I believe it is similar to how you charge a battery."
"A battery?" McKay asked, knowing there was some connection he was missing. Then his face lit up in excitement. "The ZPMs! You can charge a ZPM?!"
The major smiled. "Perhaps... what would it be worth to you?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dr. Carson Beckett was stunned by what the entity was proposing. "Major Sheppard's life is not for sale! Not even for a chance to return home!"
For a brief instant, the doctor thought he saw pity flash across the major's eyes. "You are trapped here?"
Weir hastily interrupted before too much information was revealed to the entity. It seemed to be able to draw some information from Sheppard's memory, but nothing vital to the security of Atlantis, or Earth for that matter. "In a manner of speaking... but we are not desperate enough to do what you are suggesting. We will find another way."
"Very well," the entity replied. "For now I wish to see the city of the Ancients."
"We're not going to let you just wander around the city by yourself."
"I understand that you will want to guard me. But I will see the city for myself. I believe the term is give and take, Dr. Weir. You give me something and I'll give you something in return."
She considered the proposal for a moment. "If I let you see Atlantis, will you let us talk to Major Sheppard?"
"Agreed. You keep your end of the bargain, and I assure I will keep mine."
Weid nodded her head. "Alright. Lieutenant," she said, turning to address the man standing next to her, "you're in charge of this little operation. He's not to touch any of our equipment or ask any questions about our operation. He's to look, not touch."
"Understood."
Then she turned her attention to Dr. Beckett. "Doctor, if I could have a word with you outside."
"Of course..." he replied, following her to where she stopped just outside the door.
"I want you to prepare some of that sedative for them to take along on this sight-seeing tour. I don't want to have to resort to... extreme measures... should the entity try to do
something."
"Give me fifteen minutes and they'll be ready to go." At her nod, the doctor rushed off to begin his preparations.
True to his word, a quarter of an hour later he handed a few pre-loaded syringes to each member of the security team. Ford had also grabbed a few of the tasers from the weapons locker. None of this went unnoticed by the entity.
"I get the impression you don't trust me."
Ford glared back in response. "You're holding one of our men hostage. Give me one could reason why I should trust you."
It simply shrugged and then gestured towards the door where two armed men stood waiting. "Shall we go then?"
The group set up a tight formation around the major and then headed off towards the less inhabited part of the city. The plan was to stay away from as many base personnel as possible and keep the entity from examining their own technology. It seemed to be interested in the Ancients anyway. They might even be able to pick up some information about the technology that was left behind.
The tour started out uneventful if not boring. They briefly examined several rooms. McKay would offer some commentary about what they thought each room's purpose was and the entity would smile and either nod in agreement or shake its head and laugh. But it was the last room in this particular hallway that caught its attention.
"There it is..." it murmured, anticipation written on the major's face.
"We, uh, haven't figured out what this room is for yet." McKay hoped he could prompt the entity into revealing something.
It was currently wandering around the room as if looking for something. "It's the library," it said before stopping in front of a panel on the far wall. Before anyone could react, the major had brushed his hand over the panel.
"What did I say about touching?" Ford asked in a strained voice, raising his weapon.
The major grinned innocently and raised his hands in surrender. "Relax Lieutenant. I only wished to activate the library's avatar program."
And with that statement, a holographic image of a young woman appeared next to him. "What is your inquiry?" she asked.
The major said something unintelligible in response. The hologram paused for a moment before nodding. "The information you have requested has been received. Displaying now."
An image materialized against the back wall. The scene was of the temple back on Argos, but the building was in much better condition. There were villagers loitering around the temple and carrying out day-to-day business. Suddenly, a Wraith ship flashed across the screen. Chaos erupted as the people panicked and fled towards the temple. The city exploded in flames as the ships fired at everything in their paths. Those who did not die in the initial attack were soon fleeing from the ships as they tried to beam the survivors aboard. The video showed that some of the villagers actually made it to the temple before the image cut out. The next image displayed showed that some time had lapsed since the attack. The flames had almost all died out and the town had an eerie quality to it. There was no movement of any kind. Just death and destruction strewn about the streets. A voice echoed in the small room, speaking in the language of the Ancients.
"What's he saying?" Ford asked curiously.
"Everyone's gone. They either died in the attack or were taken," the major's voice responded. The raw emotion in the voice drew everyone's gaze to where he still stood next to the avatar. A single tear drop rolled down his face. "I couldn't save them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The avatar ended the video transmission and then added, "The planet known as Argos was the 32nd to be decimated by the race known as the Wraith. There were no survivors."
Teyla understood how the entity must be feeling. Her people had been living with such a possibility for generations. "There was nothing you could have done."
"You're wrong!" it exclaimed, taking a step backward. "I was the only one who *could* do anything. Only I could activate the weapons platform."
Ford jumped at that statement. "There are weapons on Argos? What kind of weapons?"
The entity sighed and then leaned back against the wall. "It doesn't matter anymore. I couldn't do it in time. They were all destroyed in the Wraith attack."
"All you had to do was power the stuff, right?" McKay asked. "Why didn't it work?"
"Because I never learned how to do it."
Everyone stared blankly at the major for a moment before Teyla broke the silence. "You were just a child."
It nodded its head sadly before sliding to the floor in a heap. The major then wrapped his arms around his knees and leaned his head forward. "I screwed up. I thought they had abandoned me because of it. I didn't know they were all dead."
"Why did you stay in the temple?"
The entity took a moment to answer and when it did the response was so soft Teyla almost missed it. "Because I got stuck."
"You got stuck?" she asked, trying to make sure she had heard it right.
"Yes, I got stuck. I didn't know how to get back out of the technology once I had entered it. So, I had no choice but to stay."
McKay decided to jump in on the conversation at this point. "Until the major showed up. The gene activated the ancient device allowing you to free yourself."
Teyla kneeled down on the floor, trying to get better look at the entity. "But why did you hide your existence from us. We would have helped you."
"I didn't know that. Look how you have treated me so far."
"You instigated the whole thing by drawing a weapon against Teyla," Ford interrupted. "And you're still holding the major hostage. What would you expect us to do?"
It raised its head to look the man in the eyes. Hidden in their depths was a look of desperation. "I am sorry about how the events have played out. But I was afraid you'd leave me behind if I revealed what I was and what I had done. I needed something to bargain with. I had no choice but to take Major Sheppard."
"And what about now? We know about what happened and we don't judge you for it. You could let him go."
It closed its eyes and shook its head. "Your leader asked me what I wanted from our agreement. While it's true that I want to explore other worlds, that is not all I desire. I don't want to go by myself. I need him. I won't be alone again."
"And what about what Major Sheppard wants?" Ford exclaimed. He could hardly believe the attitude this creature had for others. All it cared about was its own selfish desires. "Have you even asked him?"
"Asked him?" it replied, sounding like it had never even considered the concept.
"Yes, asked him. As in, had a conversation with the man whose body you've taken over. This isn't some game you know. You can't just decide something like this and expect everyone to go along with it."
"All the previous hosts were willing participants... Very well. I must first carry out my end of the bargain and then I will have a discussion with Major Sheppard." It then rose from its position on the floor and looked pointedly at Ford, waiting for him to lead the way to Dr. Weir's office.
Ford was more than ready to hear from Sheppard, as was the rest of his team. They again formed a circle around the major and headed back the way they had came. Fifteen minutes later, they had gathered Dr. Weir and were all seated comfortably in the room they had to taken to using for briefings.
"How was the tour?" Weir began, deciding it would be best not to antagonize the entity at this point.
"Most enlightening," it responded. "And since you have kept your promise..." The voice trailed off as it lowered its head and closed its eyes. Then it immediately leapt from the chair, a startled expression plastered on the major's face.
"What the hell's going on!" he exclaimed.
"Major Sheppard? Is that you?"
"Uh, last time I checked..." John replied, cautiously returning to his seat.
Teyla asked, "What's the last thing you remember?"
He took a moment to think about the question. "We were at the temple... the planet Argos... they wanted me to sit in some chair... Crap!" He quickly scanned the occupants of the room. "Everyone's okay, right?"
"We are well, Major. It is you we are concerned about."
He visibly relaxed after hearing his team was okay. He vaguely remembered pointing a gun at Teyla and then intense pain. As he sorted through his hazy memories, he realized he was missing something... How did they get the thing out of his head? His eyes flickered to Weir. "Please tell me that thing isn't still inside me!"
She nodded sadly. "I'm sorry. We haven't figured out to free you yet."
"It seems to have possessed you, sir." Ford added.
"So exorcise it already!"
"It's not that easy," McKay explained. "It seems to be a highly conscious life form. Albeit, a lonely one... It, uh, seems to think you should be its traveling companion."
"Don't I have any say in all this?"
Ford nodded enthusiastically. "That was my thought exactly sir. We convinced it to have a talk with you."
Sheppard looked at him incredulously. "And how am I supposed to have a little chat with the thing inhabiting my head?" His team never had a chance to reply. The major instantly slumped forward over the table, unconscious yet again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The bright blue light of the active Stargate momentarily blinded him. The last thing he remembered, he had been talking with his team in the briefing room. Now he found himself standing in front of the gate. John quickly glanced up to the control room but found it disturbingly misplaced. Instead, he was surrounded by the dark vastness of space. "Ok... this is just a little creepy... I want to know what's going on right now!"
He jumped back in surprise as a figure appeared in front of him. It was a young boy who looked to be about eight years old. He had jet black hair and striking blue eyes that seemed to match the color of the event horizon in the background. The child was wearing a uniform similar to that of the Atlantis personnel except it had no identifying patches or name tag.
"Who are you? And where am I?" John asked.
"We are in your subconscious mind. And you know who I am," the boy replied. "I have been asked to speak with you."
"What do you want from me?"
The child tilted his head to one side in contemplation. "I want you to stay with me. In time, I'm sure we will become great friends."
"What makes you think I'd be your friend after you kidnapped me and threatened my team?" He stared at the child in disbelief. He instantly regretted his statement as he watched tears well up in the child's eyes. "Look, don't cry. I didn't mean to yell at you." Was he really apologizing to the thing? "It's just a little frustrating not to be in control of my own life."
His apology seemed to appease the boy. He was silent for several minutes before looking up, his expression turned to anger. "You're going to leave me too! I knew you would say no! You hate me!"
John raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture as an attempt to appease the child. "I don't hate you. I don't even know you. I just don't agree with the way you've been doing things. I have no idea what happened to you to make you feel you had to resort to all this just to get a friend. There are better ways to go about it you know."
The child looked up at him skeptically. "Like how?"
John couldn't believe this. Who didn't know how to make friends? "Well, for starters, possessing people against their will would be a definite no. You should try just introducing yourself and see how things go from there."
"Very well." The boy walked over to him and reached out his right hand. "I am Kellan."
John sighed and took the boy's hand in his own. "John Sheppard. Nice to meet you."
"There, we are friends now, right?"
He raised his hands to rub his eyes. Unbelievable... "You don't get it. It's not that simple. That's just the beginning."
The child frowned, clearly confused.
He decided to try another tactic. "Look, what would I get out of this arrangement?"
"You would continue to travel through the Stargate as you do now. I would provide you with good health and a life many years beyond what you could ever hope to live on your own."
"Well, that all sounds good in theory. But what about my life here? My friends. My responsibility. I can't just abandon all that."
Kellan smiled. "I'm sure they will find other friends. And they have each other. I am more than capable of compensating you for your loss."
"You can't buy friends."
"I disagree."
"Then I feel sorry for you. You've obviously never had a true friend."
The boy looked angry again. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to be insulting the creature that has taken over your body...
"Listen, I'm sorry but I can't go with you."
"Why not?"
"I can't just leave Atlantis." John paused to consider how to express his thoughts. He wasn't exactly used to spilling his emotions like this. "For the first time in my life, I feel like I actually have a home. And even something of a family. If I go, who will protect them? I won't leave them to face the Wraith alone."
"Your team? They are your family?"
"Yeah, I guess they are." Strange, but he hadn't realized that until this moment. Somewhere along the way, a group of strange, unique, interesting individuals had come to mean so much to him in such a short period of time. It was the last thing he had expected to find so far away from home.
"And you would do anything for them?" the entity asked.
"I would gladly give my life for them. But not without a fight."
"I had forgotten the amount of power that lies behind human emotions. It makes you very confusing creatures. You have given me a lot to think about, John Sheppard. But I have made my decision."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The inhabitants of the briefing room had been stunned to see Sheppard fall forward over the table. Teyla quickly rushed over to him. "He's still alive," she announced after finding a steady pulse. "He appears to be merely unconscious."
"You think they're talking to each other?" McKay asked while watching Ford and Teyla lower the major's body to a prone position on the floor. Ford then removed his jacket and placed it under his C.O.'s head.
"Let's hope so..." Weir replied. She didn't even want to consider what else the entity could be doing to him. Then she reached for the com link and asked Dr. Beckett to come to the briefing room.
A frustrating twenty minutes passed in silence. The doctor had showed up minutes after being paged. But after a brief examination, he agreed with Teyla's initial assessment. The major was just unconscious. There didn't appear to be anything else wrong with him at the moment, aside from the entity inhabiting his body.
Finally, the figure on the floor began to stir. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to clear away the sudden brightness. Then he pushed himself up into a sitting position.
"Are you alright Major?" Dr. Beckett asked.
He simply nodded his head and shifted his gaze to the floor.
"And the entity?" McKay added.
"I'm still here," it replied. The sudden shift in the atmosphere of the room was unmistakable. Ford and Teyla immediately gripped their weapons while everyone else took a few steps back. Kellan sighed. It was unfortunate that things had to turn out this way, but he knew what he had to do.
He turned to the current leader of Atlantis. "If it means anything to you, I am sorry." Then he took one step towards the door leading to the control room.
Ford immediately moved to block his path. "We won't let you take him."
"I know," it replied. Then it took another step forward.
"Don't make me do this..." Ford pleaded. But his hand never moved from the trigger.
"As I have said before, Lieutenant, you do what you have to do. As will I."
The major was only a few feet away from Ford when a shot rang out. Ford looked over and was shocked to see that it was Teyla who had fired. But he was even more shocked to see Major Sheppard still standing.
"He has some sort of shield!" Teyla exclaimed. "The bullet bounced right off!"
The lieutenant didn't have a chance to contemplate this new development because the entity had decided to rush him at that moment. He had barely raised his hands in defense when he felt himself slam into something solid behind him, which he assumed was the heavy metal door. The wind was knocked out of him and he slid to the floor in a heap. Briefly, he noticed that the major had continued past him and was running towards the DHD.
The control room staff had been surprised to hear a shot ring out from behind the closed doors of the briefing room. Then a moment later, Major Sheppard came bursting out and raced towards the panel to activate the Stargate. The security personnel immediately raised their weapons but they hesitated to fire on one of their own.
Kellan took their hesitation as an opportunity to begin the dialing sequence. He had gotten to the third chevron when Dr. Weir's voice rang out over the control room.
"Don't shoot!" Then she took a few steps towards the major as he pressed the last chevron. The Stargate came to life in an explosion of energy before settling back into the smooth flow of the event horizon. "Please, don't do this. We can still work something out," she pleaded, hoping by some miracle that she would be able to talk some sense into this thing.
"I have to do this," it replied before heading towards the stairs. After a quick glance at Weir, security reluctantly let him pass but still kept their P-90s trained on him. She quickly followed and they stopped just in front of the active wormhole.
It then turned to look at her. "How much does he mean to you?"
"What?" she asked.
"How much does Major Sheppard mean to you?" it repeated.
"Major Sheppard is an integral part of this base. He..."
"I don't want your answer as the leader of Atlantis. I want your answer as his friend."
She sighed and nodded her head. "He is a good man, someone I consider a very close friend. He cares deeply about others, even if it he doesn't show it all the time. John values the safety and happiness of others over his own life. I couldn't imagine Atlantis without him."
"Neither could I, Dr. Weir. I could not bear to separate a man from his family. I just had to make sure his family felt the same way about him."
A blue light enveloped him, steadily growing in intensity. Then it lifted away to form a glowing orb hovering above him. The major, now unconscious for the third time that day, slowly leaned forward and Elizabeth rushed to grab him to prevent him from slamming head first onto the hard floor. She gently lowered him down until he lay with his head in her lap. Then she looked up at the blue light. She was overcome with an intense feeling of peace before the being flew into the event horizon to begin a journey on its own.
"Thank you," Elizabeth whispered as she slowly stood to relinquish the major to the capable hands of Dr. Beckett and his staff. She felt the other three members of his team come stand next to her.
"What a day, huh?" Rodney stated, relieved that this whole mess was finally over.
"You can say that again..." Ford replied.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He wasn't really sure what had awoken him. It was either the soft yet incessant beeping of the heart rate monitor or the gentle sound of snoring coming from somewhere off to his left. Either way, he was instantly annoyed that he had found himself waking up from another bout of unconsciousness.
John looked around and saw that his team was sprawled out in various forms around the room. McKay had fallen asleep over his laptop, Ford was leaning back in his office chair in what had to be an uncomfortable position, and Teyla was fast asleep with her head lying in her arms on the edge of his bed. He chuckled slightly at the sight causing Teyla to stir.
She was startled to see him sitting up. "How long have you been awake?" she asked while trying to rub the last remnants of sleep from her face.
"Not long," he replied. Their short conversation seemed to have awakened their other companions because Ford suddenly lurched forward and nearly feel off his chair. And the snoring from McKay's side of the room stopped as he raised his head.
"How are you doing, sir?" Aiden asked, glad to see their team leader safely in the land of the living.
"Great, actually," John replied with a smile. "What happened though? The last thing I remember we were all in the briefing room."
"The entity decided it wanted to make a grand exit," Rodney responded. "It nearly got you killed."
At his look of confusion, Teyla smiled. "I do regret having to shoot you Major."
His expression only deepened at that comment. He quickly ran his hands over his body trying to find a wound. Funny... he didn't feel injured...
"Relax John. Fortunately, it had no effect. The entity created a shield of some kind to protect you and it."
"Oh..." He paused for a second and then added, "So it's really gone?"
"Apparently," McKay replied. "It left through the Stargate."
"Too bad we couldn't get it to charge a ZPM before it left..." Ford muttered.
Rodney interrupted his musings. "Wouldn't have worked. You heard what it said. It never learned how to power things."
"Yeah, but it still would have been nice..."
Teyla remembered a question she had been meaning to ask once the major had awoken. "Why did the entity let you go? We thought it was going to take you through the gate with it. It said something about not taking you away from your family..."
John smiled wryly. "Well... I just convinced it that there was a group of people that was too important to me to abandon."
Teyla understood what he was trying to say. She placed each hand on his face and leaned her forehead to his in the typical Athosian greeting. "I am honored you consider us family." McKay and Ford each smiled and nodded in agreement.
He then decided that was about as much sentimental outpouring as he could take. He quickly cleared his throat and donned his best tough guy persona. "Alright, I think it's time the three of you got some sleep. In your own beds." He added the last part to head off the impending flow of arguments.
The others looked amused and then in unison replied, "Yes Dad!"
He groaned and then laughed along with them. He watched as they slowly filed out of the room, each wishing him good night. But he knew they'd be back in the morning. And with that thought he happily drifted off to sleep.
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