The Other Sheppard von T L Kay
It took about forty minutes for the man to regain consciousness and by then Kate and Rodney had found an information console and started translating it.
“His name is Adrianus,” she said, scrolling through the screen. “This is truly fascinating. It seems he and several other Ancients composed a team of researchers looking into…something. This word is unfamiliar to me, but I think it was important. He and the others seemed to be on their way to Atlantis from…again an unfamiliar word, but they were attacked by the Wraith and their ship went down here. They set up shop here to continue their work while they waited for rescue.”
“But rescue never came?”
“Doesn’t look like it. And it looks like he’s the only survivor. I’m guessing from what I can translate that he crashed here about the same time as the Lanteans were abandoning the Pegasus galaxy.”
“I’d like to know what it was that was so important,” said John.
The man behind him groaned and shifted. Kate darted over and got to his side before John could stop her. She helped him into a sitting position, despite John’s protests. The man looked around in confusion.
“Hello, my name is Kate Sheppard, and you’re Adrianus, aren’t you?”
He took a wheezy breath. “I am, but you are not Alteran. Who are you?” He spoke in a non-echoing voice, albeit a strained and wheezy one.
“We’re from Earth,” she said.
Adrianus looked at her in amazement. “From Earth?”
“Yes, but we live in Atlantis.”
This seemed to confuse him even more.
“About the time that you and the others crashed on this planet the Lanteans were evacuating the city, back to Earth.”
“I was afraid they would do that. I tried so hard to make it in time, tried so hard…” he trailed off into a hacking cough. He coughed so hard he fell forward, but was caught by Kate, who eased him back onto the shelf.
“You should rest, you’re not well.”
“Silly girl,” he said. “I’m dying. I was dying when I went into that thing, I only did it to make sure that someone would find me and I could pass on the information. How much time has passed since my people abandoned the city?”
John made a noise at the phrase “my people” but Kate silenced him with a look. She turned back to Adrianus with a sad look. “Nearly 10,000 years,” she said.
He sighed. “Then it was all for nothing. The Wraith won.”
“No they didn’t,” said John; he couldn’t help himself; “we’re still fighting them. If you have anything that could help us that would be great.”
Adrianus coughed again, worse than before. “There’s so much to say and so little time. I fear that this body will not last that long.”
John gave him a dirty look, which he didn’t see.
“Are you saying that…I’m sorry, I don’t really know whether I’m talking to the host or the symbiote?” asked Kate.
He smiled. “A valid question. You are speaking now to the…symbiote you called me?”
She nodded.
“I am afraid that the host slipped into a coma some time before I entered the chamber.”
“Well, how much time do you think you have?”
He looked her in the eye.
“That bad huh?”
He nodded.
Kate thought very quickly. She knew what she had to do, but that didn’t mean that she necessarily wanted to do it, and she would only get one shot.
“Hey John,” she said, turning to him. “Could you grab me that water over there?” The water was close enough that John wouldn’t be leaving them alone, but far enough away that he might not get there in time if Adrianus decided to try anything. “It’ll be fine John, I promise.”
John gave her a questioning look, but obliged. As soon as he started walking away Kate acted. She leaned up to Adrianus and kissed him, or so it seemed.
“Sheppard!” Ronon yelled.
John turned to see his sister locked at the face to the Goa’uld.
“Katie!” he yelled, pulling up his gun, but he was too late.
Kate fell back from Adrianus and the man crumpled, lifeless. There was blood dripping from her mouth.
“No, dammit!” Sheppard yelled, racing to her side.
“Sorry John,” she mumbled before her eyes flashed and she passed out.
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