Atlantis - Dr. Elizabeth Weir's Office - Pegasus Galaxy
Dr. Weir just finished going over the inventory of the supplies left in the city. The storm had severely damaged the Athosian crops that they were going to rely on for food for the next year. If there is a next year... Elizabeth sighed; at least they had the note from her alternate self. Five gate addresses; three had already been crossed off the list. Hopefully this next one would provide them with what they need, a ZPM.
Elizabeth stood and exited her office then headed into the Control Room. She put on a brave face so that no one would think that she was frightened by the possibility that they might not find a ZPM.
The technician walked up to Elizabeth. "The MALP is ready to go, Ma'am."
Elizabeth turned to look over at the Gate from the railing section. "Send it though."
The technician nodded and dialed the next gate address. Within several seconds the coordinates were locked in and a worm whole was established.
Rodney stood by one of the monitors keeping his fingers crossed. He hated waiting, but at least they would know in a few minutes if they were going to have any luck or not.
John and Teyla walked into the Control Room. "Any news yet?" John asked.
"Just a second." Rodney said as he taped his pen on his note pad.
The MALP cleared the event horizon and went though to the planet on the other side.
John walked up to where Rodney was sitting and he stood behind him. As the MALP went though the other side, he leaned forward to try to make out the image on the screen.
Rodney turned slightly, "Do you know it is very rude to look over some body's shoulder?"
John merely raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes.
Teyla joined them; she narrowed her eyes as she tried to make out the image as well. "What is that there?" She pointed to the screen. There was a very small image in the upper right hand corner.
"Let me just adjust it." Rodney shifted the camera on the MALP and zoomed in. He blinked several times as his face dropped.
Elizabeth walked over and looked at the screen, "Is that what I think it is?"
"It looks like a fish!" John straightened his back.
"Why would the Ancients build a gate underwater?" Teyla was confused.
"Why did the Ancients do half the things that they did," John asked a rhetorical question under his breath.
"Well, there could be a number of explanations for this." Rodney ignored what John just said and looked at Teyla. "Perhaps the planet was in an Ice Age when the gate was placed in that location. Since then the ice has melted and the sea level has gone up. Or perhaps the region was recently flooded."
"Rodney can you tell if the water is fresh or salt?" Elizabeth rubbed her chin.
Rodney made several modifications to the sensors. "It's salt..."
"What was that?!" Teyla pointed at the screen as a large fin passed by the front of the camera.
"Probably just another fish..." John was starting to find that this was boring.
The MALP started to move forward.
"Rodney what are you doing?" Elizabeth frowned; there wasn't any point in exploring this planet.
"I'm not doing anything, it's moving on it's own!" Rodney's eyes went wide as he tried to get control of the MALP again.
A split second later they lost the visual input from the camera.
"Can you fix that?" Elizabeth felt the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight.
"No, I don't think that I can, the MALP wasn't made to handle this much pressure." Rodney tried anyway.
The event horizon closed, and all incoming information stopped.
"Well, there goes another MALP!" John waved his hand towards the screen and then let it fall to the side of his body.
"Not necessarily..." Elizabeth thought for a moment as she was deciding on what to do.
"Should we not try the next planet on the list to see if we have any luck with that one?" Teyla asked; she was forever feeling the wraith presence in her mind and she just wanted to know if they were going to be able to protect her people.
"We will... we will..." Elizabeth walked over to the ramp, and looked up at the loading dock entrance.
John followed her, "What do you have in mind?"
Elizabeth turned and looked into his eyes, "what if we use one of the Puddle Jumpers to go to that planet, and then just push the MALP back though?"
John thought it over, "It's possible if we moved really slowly. That is if we aren't able to get control of it again."
"Hello, that MALP was moving on it's own... That means that something really big must have been dragging it or was trying to eat it..." Rodney came up to them.
"Maybe it was just not working properly." Teyla followed them to their current position.
Rodney shook his head, "We won't know that until it has been looked at."
"That's why we should go and get it." John blinked several times and raised his brows.
"Even if it could be recovered it's not likely that I'll be able to fix it. We should just move on to the next planet on the list." Rodney sounded very annoyed.
"Well, we should at least try to recover it. And besides if Rodney's theory about an ice age is in fact true, then there might be some sign of Ancient ruins close to the gate where we could find the ZPM." Elizabeth looked at each of them in turn. Perhaps this planet might be worth a look at after all.
"It's worth a shot." John shrugged. He had nothing better to do besides train with Teyla, and that could always wait until they return.
"Fine, we'll go for a swim. I just hope that it isn't the same thing that happened in Russia." Rodney walked away.
"What happened in Russia?" Teyla inquired.
"Well, from what I've heard, you remember that Mist we ran into on M5S 224?" John looked at Weir and then Teyla.
"Yes, what does that have to do with anything?" Teyla's eyebrows came together.
"Well, it was something like that, although it was underwater. From what I read in the report before we left earth is that they took a sample of that stuff back to their base, and the energy life forms possessed the bodies of the scientists that were studying it. Basically everyone died in the resulting cross fire afterwards before it could get back though the gate and to its planet." John remembered that report because it was really weird; much more so then all the different human races that they had run into.
"Hopefully that won't be the case here." Elizabeth tilted her head. It took her a few seconds, but she was able to recall the report, "Although seeing the fish looks promising. That and Rodney did say that it was in salt water."
"True." John smirked.
Elizabeth looked at both of them. "I want your team to be ready to leave in an hour."
"Understood." John nodded.
"Alright then, dismissed." Elizabeth smiled and walked away. Perhaps they will have some luck after all.
An Hour Later in the Puddle Jumper Docking Bay
John walked into the Puddle Jumper and sat down in the Pilot's seat. Soon, Teyla and Aiden joined him. "Have either one of you seen McKay, he's five minutes late..."
Aiden sat down in his designated chair, "No, Sir I haven't."
Teyla smirked, and thought to herself that he was likely to still be pouting about not wanting to go.
Dr. Weir came on over the radio. "Puddle Jumper One, what's your status?"
"Holding for McKay, Ma'am." John let go of the button on the radio.
Rodney walked into the back of the Jumper. "Don't worry you can all relax. I have arrived. No, don't get up. I'm quite alright." He puts down his equipment, and then sat down.
John held down the radio button. "We're ready to leave Dr. Weir."
"Good luck, you have a go."
The back of the Jumper closed and John dialed the address.
In the Gate Room, Elizabeth watched from the railing as Puddle Jumper came down from the Docking Bay and though the Gate. "Come back safely..."
On the other side of the Gate, the Puddle Jumper cleared the Event Horizon.
Teyla leaned forward in her seat. "I have never seen anything like this."
"It is called the bottom of the ocean." Rodney crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"This is pretty cool, how deep do you think we are?" Aiden's eyes lit up as a school of pink fish with a white stripe across their center went by the front of the ship.
"I don't know, perhaps a hundred feet. Obviously we can't be lower then two hundred because there is still visible light." Rodney opened his lab top.
"Well, we can sight see once the Wraith aren't a threat anymore. Until then we better find that MALP. Keep your eyes pealed for it. It shouldn't be too far from the Gate." John circled around the gate looking for the MALP.
Rodney was on his computer trying to activate the tracking device.
"I don't see it any where..." Teyla frowned. She wondered what could have happened to it.
Rodney sighed, "I'm not getting anything." He looked up at John, "why don't you leave the water, so we can get an aerial view." He hoped that would help his readings.
"Sure." John tilted the Jumper upwards and they left the water. The terrain map came on line. John looked at it. "I think your Ice Age theory is correct, we're less the five miles from the coast. I'm going to bring it around and check it out."
Rodney continued to try to track down the MALP without success.
The Jumper flew less then twenty feet above the water. When they reached the coastline, they came upon a lagoon.
Aiden squinted, "looks like a temple up a head, Sir."
"I see it." John flew towards the temple.
"Kind of looks Greek or Roman..." Aiden noticed the Doric colons. He thought that was weird to see something so familiar in a different galaxy. But he reminded himself that the Ancient language was awfully close to Latin.
John circled the temple.
"It appears to be partially submerged..." Teyla wasn't looking forward to getting wet. She didn't let on that she didn't know how to swim.
John landed about two hundred meters away from the temple. "Maybe we should have packed wet suits." He grinned.
"Do we even have wet suits, Sir?" Aiden didn't think that they did.
"Well... no, but we do have space suits and haze suits..." John gave them a half smile.
"I'm going to stay here and work on trying to figure out where the MALP is." Rodney didn't even bother looking up.
The back of the Jumper opened, and Aiden and Teyla stood.
"Have fun, and if you need anything we're on channel one." John got up as well. He walked out of the Jumper to join Teyla and Aiden by the water's edge. "Let's not make an all day trip out of this. We have no idea if this is low tide or high tide."
"Agreed, Sir." Aiden motioned for Teyla to move into the point position. "Lady's first." He smiled.
Teyla hesitated. "I think I would feel much better if you were to go first, Major Sheppard." She turned towards John.
John rolled his eyes. "It's just water guys." He leaned down and felt it with his hands. "Wow, this is really warm!"
Aiden knelt down, and touched the water. "It has to be about eighty five degrees Fahrenheit!"
Teyla didn't move, "is that high?"
"Yes, very high." John started to walk into the water. There was a gradual slope. "It feels like bath water." He turned towards them. He made sure to hold his weapon above the water.
Teyla took off her coat. After taking a deep breath she moved into the water. She was pleased to find out that she wasn't going to drown.
"Come on Ford!" John was almost at the temple steps.
"What if there are sharks, Sir?" Aiden called.
"I don't think that they have them here." John stepped onto the first step of the Temple.
Aiden moved into the water and made his way towards the temple. "You don't know that, Sir!" At the deepest point, the water came up to his chest.
"Well, some times you just have to take a risk." John waited where he was until Teyla and Aiden joined him.
All three of them were about to move up the steps when a spear landed in front of them.
Out of the shadows of the pillars a female voice rang, "COME NO FURTHER!"
"We mean you no harm, we are just curious about your temple." Teyla called.
"GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM!"
"You've got to be kidding me..." John raised his voice, "And if we don't?"
Out of the water behind them eight armed men and women appeared holding tridents, harpoons, nets, and spears. From the shadows of the columns several other men and women stepped forward with the same type of weapons. The women were wearing some sort of scaled coverings in front of their chests, with short skirts of the same material. The men were only covered in front of their waist with little bit more then a loincloth. Some had netted like shirts across their chests. It appeared that they were all bear footed.
John turned completely around. He saw that they were surrounded. He shifted his eyes back towards the Jumper. It too was surrounded by a group of the sea people. He had no idea about where they came from.
From the entryway, a woman with long thick dirty blond hair with red highlights came forward. "This place is holy to us. No outsiders are allowed. Please leave."
"Please believe us we come in peace." Teyla looked up at the woman. She wanted them to understand that they were not a threat.
The woman crossed her arms, and looked at the guns. "You come in peace yet you bring weapons." She raised her chin several inches.
"For defensive purposes only. There are perhaps millions of Wraith running around out there, and quite frankly I don't feel like being lunch." John looked up at the woman though his sunglasses.
"Ummm... Major Shepard, why are there people with spears and nets standing in front of the entrance to the Jumper?" Rodney asked over the radio. He sounded very nervous.
"Stand by McKay..." John said into the radio. "We're not a threat, we just want to have a quick look around and then we'll leave."
The woman that appeared to be in charge thought over what he said for several seconds. "Again, I'm asking you to leave." She held a very determined look in her aqua eyes.
"We come from Atlantis, the city of the Ancients. They left something here that we need to return to them. Please just let us look around. Then we shall go." Teyla tried to sound reasonable.
"We just want to be friends." John felt that they were hiding something. He didn't think it was the MALP because the Star Gate was so far off the coast and under the water. But he did feel that it was something important enough to make them not want to let them enter that temple.
The woman narrowed her eyes; she didn't trust strangers at all. "What you ask is simply impossible. Now turn around and return to your flying ship."
"But..." John was going to ask them to at least give them a chance when he was cut off.
"Lady Ephyra asked you to leave. You should feel fortunate that it is with your lives..." An extremely muscular man with deep brown eyes and wavy blond hair stepped forward. He held a trident in his hands, which was pointed right at John.
John stepped back. "Alright, we'll go. We're not to happy about it, but we'll deal with it."
Aiden and Teyla did the same. They exchanged a look before stepping back onto the sand.
All three of them marched cautiously as they returned to the Puddle Jumper with their P-90s out of the water. Only Teyla looked back at the people that were by the temple steps in the water.
Those that were around the Jumper let them pass and enter it.
"What was that all about?" Rodney asked.
"I haven't a clue, McKay." John sounded annoyed. He sat down in his seat, to pilot the ship. It was very uncomfortable given the fact that his clothing was all wet.
Ephyra stood on the Temple steps as she watched them enter their ship and lift off the ground. She turned towards two of the women in the water. "Larunda and Napea, you are the fastest of our kind. Go to the Gate, make sure that they leave, then report back to me."
"Yes, Milady." They both said at the same time before they dove under the water.
Ephyra turned on her heals and reentered the Temple.
The large man with blond hair and deep brown eyes followed her. He placed his hand on her shoulder.
She turned around, "I fear that they will return. Do you think it was wise that I let them go so easily, Nereus?"
"It is possible that they may come back, my love. But if you had ordered their deaths, then I am sure others would follow to find out what happened to them. Perhaps they may have even sought retribution by striking down this Temple." Nereus pulled her close to him as he stroked her hair.
Ephyra took a deep breath in even though it slightly hurt her lungs. She looked up at him, "What would I do without you?"
He smiled down into her aqua eyes, and then kissed the top of her forehead. He did not answer her rhetorical question. He never did. Instead he shifted his eyes to the many different pools of water that littered the floor of the Temple. There was only a central walkway that divided the Temple floor into two, and then there were nets that sectioned off smaller areas. Along the back wall there was a small platform in front of a few stairs, this is where the MALP stood in several different pieces. A woman with long dark hair was disassembling it. "We should see if Rhode needs any help figuring out how to transfer the power device to the main computer."
Atlantis - Briefing Room
Elizabeth and Rodney were all ready sitting at the table. With in several minutes, John, Teyla, and Aiden came into the room wearing clean dry clothing. Upon taking their seats the doors to the Briefing Room closed.
"Now, explain to me, what exactly happened?" Elizabeth looked at John.
John sat forward in his chair. "We went to the planet, the gate was indeed under water. We circled it several times before leaving the water. Once in the air we spotted the cost line where a temple was located."
"You investigated the temple?" Elizabeth thought that the idea of there being some ruins sounded promising.
"We ran into some resistance Ma'am." Aiden took off his cap and held it in between his hands.
"Resistance? What kind of resistance?" Elizabeth's eyebrows came together. She didn't like the sound of that.
"Oh, the primitive kind. They had spears, nets, harpoons, and tridents." Rodney crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Did you at least get to go into the Temple to look around, or explain to them that we need that ZPM?" Elizabeth thought that the situation seemed rather odd.
"We tried to, but they would not let us go in." Teyla sounded disappointed.
"I think that they are hiding something, Ma'am." John rubbed his chin.
"You think? The whole, do not enter our sacred temple is pretty much a give away." Rodney rolled his eyes.
"I agree with Major Sheppard, Ma'am. They wanted to get rid of us as soon as possible." Aiden spoke up as he ignored Rodney's sarcasm.
Elizabeth looked down as she thought about what to do next. She then lifted her eyes and looked at Rodney. "Any luck with the MALP?"
He shook his head, "Nope, it's almost as if it completely disappeared off the map."
Elizabeth leaned forward, "Suggestions?"
"I say we go back to that planet at night in a cloaked Jumper and leave it in hover mode. We'll park it at the temple entrance and walk right in. We can be in and out, and they won't know the difference." John thought that was the simplest and easiest thing to do.
"And what if you run into their people? They may have guards posted." Elizabeth clasped her hands together as she leaned forward on the table.
"We can take the Wraith stun weapon Ma'am. That will simply knock them out while we search the place." Aiden rolled the cap in his hands.
Elizabeth turned her head, "Teyla have you ever heard of these people before?"
Teyla thought for a moment, "no I have not. Nor have I ever heard of the address used to dial there."
"The weird thing is that Ephyra lady didn't even flinch when I mentioned the Wraith." John narrowed his eyes as he thought out loud.
"They did not seem to know about Atlantis either." Teyla wondered what this could mean.
"Obviously if the Star Gate has been underwater for several generations they may not have any memory of the Wraith or Atlantis. Anyone that attempted to go there without a submarine or a Puddle Jumper would be crushed by the water pressure as they felt the sea coming tumbling down on top of them." Rodney felt like explaining what he felt happened.
"That still doesn't explain why no Wraith Darts have gone there." Aiden reminded Rodney of that one little detail.
"For all we know they could have, and the people might have hidden in the water. The Wraith my simply mistake them for a dolphin or a shark. Or perhaps the Wraith don't know about that planet. For all we know most of it could be underwater." Rodney wasn't confident with his explanation but it was the only one that he could come up with.
"Anything else?" Elizabeth scanned all of their faces to see if anyone was holding back anything. "Good. I'll let you know my decision in an hour. Dismissed." She stood and walked out of the room towards her office.
"Dr. Weir!" One of the nonmilitary personnel tried to stop Dr. Weir. She was running up the steps across from the Star Gate.
"What do you have for me, Dr. Ryley?" Elizabeth continued to walk towards her office.
Lynet followed her into her office, as she caught her breath. She hadn't meant to run all the way to her office, but she knew how busy Dr. Weir was and was concerned that she would miss her. "G'day, I was going over the food supply to start to divide it into rations..."
Elizabeth turned towards her as she moved towards her desk, "Please, take a moment, and catch your breath."
"Thank ya, Ma'am." Lynet swallowed, and then took a deep breath, "What I wanted to say was that I noticed that we are missing about thirty percent of our over all stock."
Elizabeth sat down in her seat; she shook her head and looked up at the young woman. "How could that have happened?" She narrowed her eyes and shook her head slightly, she couldn't think of a reason why their supplies dropped so quickly, unless...
"The Genii Ma'am. They must have taken some of it with them before Major Sheppard was able to stop them." Lynet sat down across from her, she handed Elizabeth the folder with the lists of the supplies that were left over and missing.
Elizabeth took the folder and opened it, "how long do you think we have until we run out of food?"
"That depends on how well we ration our food, but at it's best I don't think we have more then three to five months worth of supplies." She folded her hands in her lap.
"Recommendations?" Elizabeth closed the folder.
"I suggest that we start rationing today. Every little bit helps. Perhaps we could even ask the Athosians to help us learn how to hunt on the main land. Of course not in the part of the continent that they are using..." She paused.
"But?" Elizabeth motioned for her to close the door.
Lynet stood and did that, she then returned to her seat. " ...but I'm not sure how the rest of the expedition would feel about that." Lynet chewed on her lower lip. She used to chew gum when she was feeling anxious but since she ran out, she started to chew her lower lip.
Elizabeth leaned forward, "What are you implying?"
"Well," her hazel eyes glanced down as she searched for the right words to use. "The majority of the expedition is scientists. Many of them have never even fired a weapon. As for the military presence, we need them here in Atlantis for security purposes until we can determine when the Wraith will arrive. After then..."
"We will take one day at a time." Elizabeth smiled, "I agree with you. Although I'm guessing that there are some scientists here that will be willing to learn how to hunt." She motioned towards her with her hand, "Like you, I recall you were Caption of your Archery Team during college."
Lynet nodded and blushed, "yes, Ma'am, I had plenty of practice shooting at the Kane Toads that kept eating our crops back home in Australia."
"Good, then I will put you in charge of coming up with a hunting team. Although you do understand that since some of ammunition was stolen, we are going to have to come up with some creative alternatives for weapons." Elizabeth smiled.
"Bows and arrows?" Lynet grinned with her dimples showing.
"Exactly." Elizabeth folded her hands in front of her, "I will get back to you on when I can send a party to the main land to gather supplies for making what you need."
Lynet stood, "Thank ya Ma'am."
"Your welcome," Elizabeth opened another folder on her desk.
"Hooroo," Lynet nodded and opened the door to walk out of the office with her hands behind her back.
An Hour Later
John knocked on the door of Elizabeth's office. He had tried to go back to his room and read another page or two of his book, but he just couldn't relax. Something about that planet just didn't seem right to him.
"Come in," Elizabeth placed her pen down, and folded her hands in front of her on top of the desk. "Your right on time, John." She recognized that look he had about him.
John folded his arms in front of his chest, "So, what's the verdict?" He pressed his lips together.
"I'm authorizing a recon mission. Although with one stipulation; I don't want you to harm any of the locals." She shook her head slowly as she looked down at her desk. "The prospect of finding a fully charged ZPM is too important to pass by. We know that this city needs three to be completely charged, but if we can at least get two, then we can really start to find out what all the machines and equipment lying about are for."
"I agree. We'll leave tonight. It would be nice to find one there, and one on the last planet from the list, wouldn't it?" John was hopefully, but not overly so.
Elizabeth smirked, "yes it would."
Hours Later
John and Teyla were all ready in the Jumper when Aiden walked in. He yawned, "Couldn't we go in the morning, Sir?" He took his seat as Rodney came in and sat down as well.
"What are you tired, Ford?" John closed the Jumper's back door, and started to disembark.
"No Sir." Aiden looked down at the Wraith stun weapon that he was caring. He tried to take a nap before they left but couldn't. All he could do was lay there and stare up at the ceiling. Thoughts of his grandparents kept on visiting him, so he was forced to get up and walk around to try not to think and worry about them.
"Good, because I want you to be at the top of your game." John cloaked the ship as they entered the event horizon.
Elizabeth stood in her normal spot as she watched them leave. Some times she wished that she could join them. She felt rather anxious when ever a team would leave though that gate.
As soon as they arrived, John took the Jumper out of the water, and towards the Temple. He flew at a higher altitude then last time.
Teyla looked out of the front of the Jumper, she tried to see the Temple, but it was very difficult since the sky was a bit over cast.
Rodney shifted in his seat, "I have a bad feeling about this."
"It will be okay, Rodney, we're just going to go and see if they actually have it." John looked over his shoulder.
"And if they do?" Teyla raised her brows.
"We'll just borrow it." John smirked.
"You mean steal it." Teyla raised an eyebrow, she didn't like that idea, but she would do what they felt was best to help both their peoples.
"Something like that." John turned the Jumper around in front of the Temple, so that it could hover at its entrance.
"Even if it is still here, which is a very unlikely, I doubt that they would know what to do with it. They were rather primitive looking." He stood and looked out the front of Jumper.
Aiden rolled his eyes; he stood as well and looked out the front windshield. "Huh... looks like high tide, the water is almost at the top of the steps."
"I guess its good then that we're not walking up to it then." John smirked, as he stood and picked up his weapon. He moved to the back of the Jumper.
Aiden stood next to him.
Teyla was right behind them.
John looked to make sure that they were all in position, then he said to Rodney, "okay, McKay, lower the door."
Rodney lowered the back door as he looked anxiously on from his seat.
A cool breeze was blowing outside, signifying that a storm was coming.
Aiden held the Wraith weapon up and started to walk forward with John. They stepped off the back of the Jumper and onto the marble step below.
John motioned for Aiden to watch the left as he and watched the door. He then signaled Teyla to watch the entrance.
As they moved towards the entrance, Aiden spotted one of the men that had surrounded them earlier and shot him with the Wraith stun weapon.
The man crumpled up on the steps heading towards the water.
Another two had been walking around the perimeter of the outer walkway of the temple. Aiden quickly shot them with the Wraith stun weapon as well.
They fell in nearly the same position as the other man, and not too far away from him either.
Seeing that there were no other guards, they slowly walked inside the temple, and stopped suddenly.
Aiden's eyes widened. "This is really strange."
"What the...?" John was about to take another step when he realized that the majority of the Temple floor was water. He lifted his P-90 and turned on the light. Across the causeway he spotted the dissembled MALP.
Teyla followed the path of light with her eyes, and frowned, "how could that have possibly gotten here?" She looked at John, wondering if he had any answers.
"Beats me," John lifted his radio, "McKay, get in here, we found the MALP."
Rodney's jaw dropped, he was currently picking up his equipment. He almost dropped it when he heard Major Sheppard on the radio. "Impossible..." He said to himself. He then quickly moved out the back of the Jumper and into the Temple. "What's this about finding the MALP?"
Aiden moved aside so that he could get though, "Its across that walkway." He motioned with the Wraith Stun weapon.
"I can't believe it." Rodney went to take a step forward.
"Wait McKay. Ford, Teyla, I want you to go first, check it out, make sure that no one is hiding over there." John moved closer to the entrance to make sure that no one was coming.
"Yes, Sir." Aiden moved on to the walkway and slowly made his way across towards the far end.
Teyla followed, she used the light from her P-90 to illuminate the way.
Once across Aiden quickly swept the platform where the MALP was, and then he made his way up the steps.
Teyla followed him up the steps; she was less then a foot behind him. She slowly moved the light across the floor. The area wasn't any larger then the Conference Room back in Atlantis. When the light hit the wall in the back, she tilted her head.
Aiden turned his head towards her after he made sure that no one was hiding. "Is that what I think it is?"
"It looks like the computer screen in the Control Room." Teyla looked back at him and then she ran down the steps. "Dr. McKay, you should have a look at this!"
Rodney lifted his gaze up at her, and tilted his head as he started to walk across the walkway. "What is it?"
"It appears that there is an Ancient Computer here." She stepped aside to allow Dr. McKay access to the stairs since the different pieces of the MALP took up much of the lower platform.
"An Ancient Computer?" Rodney quickly moved up the steps with all of his equipment. The MALP was temporary forgotten about. His eyes widened when he saw the computer screen lightly glowing in front of him. He placed down his equipment and walked over to the main council. Upon touching the panel the entire computer came on line along with lights under the water in the lower area of the Temple. Rodney cracked his fingers and started to get to work. "Okay, let's find us a ZPM."
Aiden moved down the steps as he tried to figure out what to do with the MALP.
Teyla joined him, but the light in the water caught her eyes. She saw that there was a walkway that surrounded the different pools of water.
Aiden watched her as she made her way around the outer perimeter of one of the pools. His eyebrows came together as he saw her stop. "What is it?" He went over and joined her.
"I have never seen anything like this in all of my life," Teyla looked at Aiden. She then turned her gaze towards John. "Major Shepard, I think you should see this."
John looked left and right out the entrance way and then back at Teyla. "Why?" He raised a brow.
"Sir, I really think you should see this." Aiden looked up at him and then back into the water.
John shook his head, and made his way over to them. "What's so special about... whoa!" His eyes widen, "Are those...?"
"Eggs." Aiden pointed to the one that was separate then the other three that were clumped together. "It looks like an embryo, it even has a tale, arms, hair, a nose, and eyes!" He raised his weapon and backed into the wall as it blinked at him.
"Take it easy Ford." John placed his hand on his shoulder. He looked at Teyla, "Check out the rest of the pools see how many there are."
Teyla nodded, and then she started to move along the perimeter.
When Teyla was on the other side of the Temple, John said to Aiden in a low voice, "go back into the Jumper and see if there are any containers. I'm sure Carson is going to want to get a look at one of them."
"I don't know about this, Sir." Aiden looked back at the one egg that was separated from the other three.
"We'll just take one, and we'll have it back before they even know it's gone."
Aiden nodded, and went back towards the Jumper.
Teyla finished checking out the different pools, and walked back towards John. "As far as I can tell the rest are empty."
"Good," John looked back towards the Jumper and then up to where McKay was. "Teyla why don't you go and check on McKay."
She narrowed her eyes, while wondering what he was up too. Teyla then nodded, "All right." She walked around the perimeter towards the steps.
Aiden came back into the Temple caring a large container. He made his way over to the pool where the eggs were located. He stepped down several steps that went into the water and slowly moved over to the eggs. The water came to about as high as his waist. From this angle he was able to see that there was a steady decline that lead towards two exit ways along the wall with the MALP. They were completely submerged in water. He looked between the group of three and then the single one. He didn't want to damage the three eggs, so he scooped the single egg into the container.
Rodney met Teyla half way up the steps. "We have a problem."
"What is it?" John made his way over to them.
"Is the ZPM here?" Teyla looked up towards the Ancient Computer.
"Yes... it is ninety nine, point nine percent depleted." He took a deep breath.
"So, how much energy is actually left?" John looked back at Aiden, he saw him making his way out of the water.
"If we didn't touch anything, a week maybe two, but now, less then several days. Besides that, they hooked the battery from the MALP onto the main computer. I'm downloading the information from it onto my laptop as we speak. Apparently this was some sort of Ancient lab, and the computer is directly connected to the temperature of the water." He put his hands on his hips, as he looked between the two of them.
"I believe that you are correct, Dr. McKay, we found four eggs in the water." Teyla looked back towards the pool where she found them, but Aiden caught her eye. She watched him exit the entryway and go into the Jumper. For a moment there she thought that he was soaking wet.
"It's like a huge incubator," John said.
"I suggest we head back to Atlantis before the guards wake up." Teyla didn't like it there; she felt that should never have come back.
"Agreed, pack it up McKay." John turned and headed down the walkway towards the Jumper.
"Right," Rodney moved back up the steps and went to work.
Teyla followed him, "how much longer do you think it will be."
Rodney bobbed his head back and forth, "I'm not sure."
She paced as he packed the rest of his equipment. He looked back at one of his several laptops. "Done." He closed each of them and placed them into his shoulder bags. He then moved back towards the Ancient Computer and placed it into sleep mode. The lights all went out. "Come on, let's go." He picked up everything and started towards the stairs.
Teyla turned on the light from her P-90, and followed him out.
In the Jumper, Aiden sat with the container on his lap. "It's going to be okay, your going to be all right." He couldn't look away from its blank stare.
John moved into the Jumper and took his seat as he saw Teyla and Rodney make their way towards the entrance. He turned towards Aiden, "what are you doing?"
"Reassuring it, Sir." His knee started to bounce nervously.
"Your going to spill the water, stop that." John raised his eyebrow.
As soon as Teyla and Rodney entered the back of the Jumper, John closed the hatch, and they started to make their way to the Star Gate's location.
Rodney and Teyla went to their seats. Rodney placed his equipment down and sat back with a deep sigh.
Teyla looked at Aiden and frowned. She noticed the container and looked into it. "What are you doing with that!?"
"We're taking it back to Atlantis for Carson to look at. Don't worry we'll bring it back." John punched in the Gate address to Atlantis.
Teyla sat and shook her head, "I don't know about this, it is defiantly wrong."
Rodney's brows came together, he stood and looked down into the container. "Whoa!" He sat back down. "What is that?"
Aiden tilted his head, "Meredith is a mermaid." He smiled at it, "your going to be okay, I won't let anything bad happen to you, Mer."
"You named the egg, Meredith." Teyla looked at him as if he were crazy.
Aiden continued to look at it, he smiled, the fetus smiled back. "Meredith can see me! She smiled back at me!" He looked up Teyla and then back at the egg. "Your so pretty, yes you are."
John took the Jumper into the water, and though the Gate.
Atlantis - Control Room
Since it was late at night, most of the Control Room staff had gone to bed. However there was the night shift at their posts. Below by the Gate there were several guards waiting for the Jumper to return.
Elizabeth stood along the ramp staring off into the distance.
The Star Gate came to life.
"In coming wormhole!" The technician shifted in his chair to look at his computer. "It's Major Sheppard."
"Open the Iris." Elizabeth turned and left the room.
Puddle Jumper Bay
John started out of the back of the Jumper.
Teyla quickly followed him, "Major Sheppard, I think we should bring that thing back now. I don't feel right about this."
John winced, he didn't really feel right about having that thing with them either, but if it held some secret about killing the Wraith, then it was worth it. He turned towards her, "I understand that you're concerned. I am too, I just think that it is important that Dr. Beckett gets a look at that thing."
"What thing?" Elizabeth walked up to them. She only over heard the last part of their conversation.
Aiden came out of the back of the Jumper caring a large container, he was humming Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as he kept his gaze on it.
"Lt. Ford, what do you have there?" Elizabeth pushed past Teyla and John.
Aiden looked up in surprise, he quickly came to attention. "This is Meredith, Ma'am."
Elizabeth looked at him as if he were crazy, "Meredith?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Meredith is a mermaid." At least that's what he thought she was, he wasn't exactly sure.
"A mermaid?" Elizabeth looked down into the container. "Oh my..." She stared at it for a moment in shock. It looked like it was an eight or nine month embryo. "Is it alive?"
"Yes, Ma'am, though I think that we need to get her to the Infirmary and hooked up to a heater. She was in a pool of water that was about body temperature." He looked back into the water. He was concerned that if the water-cooled, it would kill her.
"Ford's right. We need to get that thing to the Infirmary." Rodney came out of the back of the Jumper with his equipment. He moved past them.
Elizabeth began to follow Rodney. Aiden looked at Major Sheppard, "Permission to go to the Infirmary, Sir?"
"Go ahead, I'll go and wake up Beckett." John left and walked towards Carson's quarters.
Aiden left and slowly made his way towards the Infirmary. He didn't want to so shake the egg too much.
"Please don't tell me that the ZPM was depleted, Rodney." Elizabeth walked along side of him.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Elizabeth, but it was." He made his way towards his lab to start to translate the information he gathered from the computer in the Temple.
Elizabeth winced, "Damn!"
"I know, at least it wasn't a total waist of time." Rodney lifted one of the bags on his shoulder. "Turns out that Temple was an Ancient Lab. I downloaded all the information from its main computer into my laptops."
"That would explain why the ZPM was depleted, they must have left the experiment running." Elizabeth crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Apparently so. Although the locals seem to be continuing it, they had the battery from the MALP attached to the main computer."
"How is that possible?" Elizabeth was a bit confused.
"I'm not exactly sure, although I am hoping that by looking at this data, it will provide us with some useful answers." Rodney said in a dull tone, he figured that he wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight.
Elizabeth frowned, "why did you bring the egg back with you?"
"I don't know, you'll have to ask Major Sheppard that. It was his idea." He turned towards her; he wanted this conversation to end so that he could get to work.
"Alright, I'll do that." Elizabeth could tell when not to push Rodney anymore. She turned and left.
Outside of Dr. Beckett's Quarters
John stood at the door. He had knocked on it several times. "Beckett, open up." He was about to bang on it again, when the door opened.
"Can't I get a decent night sleep around here?" He was closing his bathrobe.
John smirked when he saw that Carson was wearing bunny slippers. "I have something for you that I think you will be very interested in."
"And what is that, may I ask?" Carson's eyes widened as John turned and started walking down the hall. "Might I at least put on some decent cloths first?"
"Be quick about it!" John turned into the adjacent hall as he traveled to the Infirmary.
Outside the Infirmary
Elizabeth was on her way to the Infirmary to see if she could get more information out of Aiden about why the took the egg since she knew that John was waking up Carson. But as luck would have it, John was about to enter the Infirmary. "Major Sheppard!"
John winced; he didn't feel like explaining himself to Elizabeth right now, especially when he was going to have to do it again when Carson arrived. He turned and smiled, "Yes, Dr. Weir."
She walked up to him and asked in a low voice, "Why would you possibly kidnap, that egg and bring it here!"
"I didn't kidnap it, we just borrowed it. We'll bring it back to the Temple before they even realize that it's gone." He seemed very nonchalant about it.
"I don't think that you've thought this through. For all we know there might be some rotation process that needs to be done to it. Or that it may go into shock and die from being taken out of its environment." Elizabeth's lips were tightly pressed together.
"It will be fine, stop worrying." John turned to enter the Infirmary.
"But you don't know that." Elizabeth had to make a point. She did not think that risking the life of an unborn child was right.
John stopped again; he looked at her. "Your right, I don't know, but I think it is worth the risk. If that thing has some clue in its genetic make up that we could use to fight the Wraith, then it's best that we find out." He raised his brows and walked into the Infirmary to find that Aiden had placed the container on top of one of the lab tables and was sitting right next to it. Teyla was sitting on one of the beds; she was staring off into the distance out the window.
Elizabeth follows him in and walked over to the container. She looked into it and stepped back when she saw it sucking its thumb and tilting its head towards her.
Carson entered the Infirmary wearing his normal uniform and lab coat. "There y'are." He nodded to everyone. "No one's hurt, I'd imagine."
Teyla looked over at Carson, "We're all fine."
"Alright, then." Carson rubbed his hands together before he let them drop. "What'd you have for me, then?"
John motioned with his head towards the container. "It's in there."
Carson looked at each of them, and then walked over to the container. Upon looking in it, he stepped back, "My God! Where'd you find that?"
"On our last mission." John crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Meredith is a mermaid." Aiden looked at Carson.
"I can see that! Why's it here?" He looked back at the container and then at John.
"I'd thought that you might want to run some tests on it." John tilted his head.
"We found her in an Ancient Lab." Aiden stood, "and I think that we have to keep the water at body temperature."
"You'd have told me that to begin with." Carson gathered himself again and walked over to the container.
0900 Hours - Conference Room
Elizabeth, John and Teyla were seated in their designated positions at the table. They were waiting for Rodney and Carson to enter the room and update them on their findings.
Teyla was feeling a bit anxious since it had been many hours since they brought the egg back with them. She felt that the locals from that planet must have noticed its disappearance by now.
Rodney came in and sat down, he was munching on a power bar. He looked very tired.
Carson also walked into the Conference Room. He looked rather excited.
Elizabeth tuned towards Carson, "Will Lt. Ford be joining us?"
"He was most reluctant to leave the Infirmary, so I told him to stay put." Carson sat down in his seat.
"Good, since we are all here then let's start." The Conference Room Doors automatically closed as Elizabeth spoke. "Carson, why don't you go first?"
"Alright then." Carson smiled, "Meredith's anatomy is quite extraordinary. I've never seen anything like it. She has a complete human skeleton system, but the muscles around her legs are knitted together to form a fin. Upon running a DNA test on her, I found that she is mostly human."
John raised a brow, "Mostly human?"
"Aye, although I found that she has gills on her back, but at the same time she is completely capable of breathing though her nose and mouth." Carson smiled as he shook his head, he could hardly believe the results.
"So, is she a fish or a mutated human?" John looked at Carson and then at Rodney.
"I believe Lt. Ford's observation is correct. She's a mermaid. Plain and simple. A hybrid of human, dolphin, fish, and ancient DNA."
"What?" John sat forward.
"From what I can tell, she has the same type of film that protects a dolphin's eyes on hers." He noticed the look on their faces, "I know that this is all very confusing to you. I don't quite understand it completely myself." Carson looks between them.
"Please continue Carson. Did you find anything that can help us fight the Wraith?" Elizabeth didn't quite understand it herself, but it exhilarated her to know that such a being existed.
"Ah! Now here's where it gets interesting!" Carson rubbed his hands together.
"What? It's not interesting enough for you?" Rodney rolled his eyes.
Carson ignored him. "Apparently Meredith has a particular protein that we have encountered before."
"You got to be kidding..." John looked at him.
"I don't understand," Teyla sat forward.
"The Hoff protein." Carson sat back.
Elizabeth smiled uncomfortably, "How is this possible?"
"That's where I come in. About ten years before the evacuation of Atlantis, the Ancients made one last heroic attempt to find some way to alter human DNA to make them immune to the Wraith." Rodney raised his chin as he spoke.
"Obviously they failed." John crossed his arms.
"Not necessarily. The Ancients picked this planet to do their experiments on because of the survivors of a Wraith culling. It was reported that they had escaped the Wraith by hiding in turned over fishing boats on the open water." Rodney didn't think that people hiding in this fashion could easily fool the Wraith.
"I've never heard of anyone escaping a Culling in that way before." Teyla's brows came together.
Elizabeth looked at her in disbelief, "never?"
"I'm guessing that's because the Ancients tended not to put the Star Gates close to the coast line. They knew that over time the coast line shifts though erosion, and then of course there is also flooding, hurricanes, things like that." Rodney sat back.
"I believe that Dr. McKay is correct. Most of the worlds that I have visited the Star Gate have not been any where near the ocean. In fact most of my people don't even know how to swim since we have always moved our hunting camps to follow the main herds. On other planets they are completely agricultural, so they don't venture too far from the fields to either." Teyla tried to think if there was anyone that she knew that lived close to the Ocean.
"Anyway, back to what I was saying. The Ancient scientists worked ten years to try to perfect the proper DNA sequence. However when they were recalled, all returned to Atlantis but one scientist. He stayed behind and finished, but by that time he was unable to do much with it besides what we saw at the Temple." Rodney frowned.
Atlantis Food Court
Dr. Lynet Ryley walked into the Food Court with a clipboard in her right hand, and a bucket in her left. She smiled seeing that many of the members of the expedition had started to line up for their morning meal. She waited several more minutes before making her way over to one of the tables in front of the line. She then climbed up on one of the chairs, and smiled as she faced everyone. "G'day! As some of you may know, I am Dr. Lynet Ryley. I have been given the authority by Dr. Weir to start forming at least one hunting party to add meat to our food supply. Now there is no need to feel panicked about our supplies at this time. But we do want to be able to stretch out what we have until the harvest, and adding meat to that will be an added bonus." She gave them the best smile that she could. She didn't want to break it to them yet that most of the harvest for next season had been destroyed by the Storm.
"Before you partake in your morning meal, I would ask that each of you take one of these little pieces of paper in my bucket, and then write the date and time next to your name on the list. All research and medical personnel are to participate in this, no exceptions. If you want to volunteer right off the bat, then just put a 'V' by your name as well." She was about to get off the chair, when she stopped and looked at them again. "The interviews will take place in my office, just so that you know."
Sora left her place in line and moved quickly over to Lynet. "I volunteer." She was getting cabin fever sitting in her designated place all day. She was allowed to do minor research, but if anything she felt more in the way then anything else.
Lynet started to walk towards the front of the line. "I don't know if Dr. Weir is going to allow that, Sora. I'm sorry."
Sora moved around her, "then your going to have to convince her to allow me to help. I am ten times, no a hundred more times qualified to hunt, then anyone else here next to Teyla." She locked her jaw indicating that she was very determined to be of some use.
"I'll see what I can do." Lynet gave her a smile.
"Thank you. And remember Lynet, I have to eat too." Sora gave her a half smile before moving to the end of the line.
Conference Room
"Are there any other suggestions or theories?" Elizabeth looked at each of them in turn. Seeing that there were none, she placed her hands on top of the table. "All right then. I want you ready to leave to bring Meredith back to her planet within the hour. Any objections?"
"None here, I think she's better off there." Carson frowned he was going to miss the little mermaid.
"Good dismissed." Elizabeth stood. The conference room doors opened.
Carson quickly headed out and went back to the Infirmary to prepare Meredith for her trip.
John turned towards Teyla as they stood, "now you said that most of your people don't know how to swim, does that include you?"
"Being able to swim has never been a factor in our survival." Teyla stated to walk out the doors.
"I'm taking that as a no." John followed her out.
Teyla winced, "that is correct."
"Next time we decide to do a recon mission though a lagoon, I need you to remind me that you don't know how to swim." John smirked.
"Perhaps you can teach me how to swim. It is only fair, I am teaching you how to fight the proper way." Teyla smiled at him as she raised her eyebrows and then she headed off to her room to get her equipment ready.
John stood there for a moment as he thought of what to do next. That is when the Star Gate started to activate.
"In coming worm hole!" One of the Technicians announced.
Elizabeth moved over towards her. "Where is it coming from?"
The Technician looked at the computer, "M5S 492."
"That's impossible, their Gate is under water." Rodney looked at the Gate as the event horizon stabilized.
The technician looked up at Elizabeth, "Should I close the Iris, Dr. Weir?"
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes for a split second as she thought. "No, I want to see what comes though." She turned towards John. "Major Shepard have your men ready just in case."
"This is reckless..." Rodney frowned as he said this out loud. He shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"I agree." John moved down the steps and took a P-90 from one of the guards as they moved into position.
"I don't think so, we have something of theirs." She raised a brow. "I don't think that they would risk Meredith's life." Elizabeth crossed her arms in front of her chest as well.
"Possibly. That or they think that we killed her and are seeking revenge..." Rodney moved a safe distance away. He stood behind one of the infrastructure supports. The last thing he needed was to get killed over an egg.
Down by the gate, a wheel rolled though the event horizon and ran into the stairs. It was sopping wet.
"What the hell?" John's eyes followed it before turning back towards the gate.
Next a camera slid across the floor, this too was wet.
"What are they doing?" Rodney stepped out from where he stood and went towards the rail to see better. He looked up at Elizabeth as if he were slightly confused.
Elizabeth gave him a half of a smile, "They are returning the MALP. You did say it was in pieces when you found it, didn't you?"
The MALP arm came though the gate next, followed several other pieces.
"Yes, of course, but that was miles away from the Gate. To carry it all the way over there would have taken..."
"All night?" Elizabeth raised her brows. "They knew that egg was gone before you even left the planet." She looked sadly at the Star Gate as several more pieces cleared the event horizon. She spoke up, "Major Sheppard, have one of your men move the pieces out of the way."
John looked up at her, "Yes, Ma'am..." He didn't like the idea of one of his men being exposed, but he also didn't think that it was a good idea if the MALP pieces piled up. That would block someone in if they came though the Gate, or it could be used as shield. "Lt. Corwin, move the MALP out of the way of the Gate."
"Yes, sir!" Lt. Corwin climbed up the side of the platform and started to cautiously move the pieces off to the side. He didn't like the idea of being exposed to a possible enemy, but he would not disobey a direct order.
After several minutes of this, Rodney looked back at Elizabeth. "That looks like all of it..." He tilted his head back and forth, "minus the battery of course..."
"Major Sheppard, have your man move away from the Gate!" Elizabeth called down to him.
"Corwin, you heard the lady." John shifted his position.
"Yes, Sir," Lt. Corwin moved off the platform and raised his P-90 towards the event horizon.
With in seconds two gray webbed hands cleared the event horizon. They were gripping on to the floor. The head, shoulders and the rest of the arms came though next.
Elizabeth's eyes widened. She had never seen anything like it; the being literally pulled itself though the Gate. She could tell that it was a female by the shape of its torso, and the fact that a large scaled garment covered its breasts. Its coloring was very similar to that of a dolphin's. It was almost completely gray except for its abdomen and chest was white. Elizabeth also found it interesting that the same type of scale like garment that covered its breasts was also covering its hips. Once its fin cleared the event horizon, the wormhole closed.
Meanwhile - At the Food Court
Lynet smiled, as she looked at the list, three volunteers so far out of twenty some odd people. Perhaps this wasn't going to be as hard as she thought. When she looked up she frowned seeing Dr. Kavanagh standing there with a disgusted look on his face.
Dr. Kavanagh stood there with his arms crossed. "I protest having to take part in this 'interview possess' I'm a scientist, not a butcher."
Lynet pressed her lips together, "I have orders from Dr. Weir. She wants everyone to at least be asked. I understand it if you can't stomach shooting an animal, that's all you have to say." She slightly narrowed her eyes; she really didn't like his arrogant attitude.
Dr. Simpson was behind him in line. She rolled her eyes, and pushed a head of him. Before taking a piece of paper with the date and time, she simply said. "I personally don't want to starve, so I'm going to volunteer."
"That's wonderful, thank you." Lynet smiled at her.
Dr. Simpson took out the piece of paper with her interview date and time. As she wrote them down she said in a low voice to Lynet, "I have no experience with this type of thing..."
"It's okay, no one else seems to, either." Lynet gave her an encouraging smile.
While Dr. Kavanagh was standing there, protesting, the tiny doctor from Japan went next. She pushed her glasses up her nose, and smiled. "I want to volunteer too." She picked a piece of paper out of the bucket and placed her information in the proper place.
Dr. Simpson looked up at Kavanagh, "looks like there are plenty of volunteers. Don't worry, your stomach will stay filled." She smirked and walked off with the Japanese doctor to get their breakfast.
Gate Room
"Hold your fire," John watched the being carefully. For all he knew it could spray some sort of poisonous toxin at them.
The being, closed its eyes as it concentrated from shifting its air intake from its gills to its mouth and nose. Slowly its cells rearranged themselves. Its color shifted from gray and white, to an olive completion. The webbing that knitted its fingers together retracted, along with cartilage that held its legs together. The fin also retracted, as the gills on her back barely became visible.
"Now that's something you don't see everyday." Rodney watched in amazement along with everyone else in the control and gate room.
John recognized her she looked more and more like a human.
Once her transformation was complete, she slowly stood up. She now looked completely human.
The military personal kept their sights on her.
She slowly said, "I'm not armed." Then she spun slowly around. "As you can see I have no where to hide any weapons on my person."
Dr. Weir made her way down the steps. She tried to give the woman a good smile, "Lady Ephyra, I presume?" She was able to guess who she was from the way they described her earlier. "Welcome to Atlantis. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir."
Ephyra eyed the men with weapons again. She supposed that this is how they felt when they came to her planet. She lifted her chin and looked at Elizabeth, "I wish I could say that I'm pleased to be here."
John didn't feel that she was going to be a threat so; he looked over at his men. "At ease." He stood and walked over next to Elizabeth.
Ephyra swallowed as she saw John approach. After choosing her words carefully as she said, "I have come to ask for my daughter back, no matter what condition she may be in." She felt her heart hammering inside her chest. When it had been reported that she was missing she felt as if she were lost in the deepest depths of the sea with nothing but the icy waters there swallowing her whole.
Elizabeth couldn't help but feeling absolutely horrible. "Our doctor is currently preparing her for the trip back to your planet as we speak."
"Don't worry, she's perfectly safe. We made sure to maintain the water temperature. And you know that if you just explained things to us in the first place instead of..."
"Major Sheppard, that's enough." Elizabeth cut him short as she gave him a look. "We'll take you to her now." She tried to give the mermaid a reassuring smile.
Over the general radio channel, Carson's voice could me heard. "Dr. Weir, Major Sheppard, Dr. McKay, Teyla, come quickly to the infirmary, you have to see this!"
Infirmary
"Carson, what's happening?" Elizabeth walked though the infirmary door first followed by Ephyra, John, and Rodney. She walked into the room further as she looked for him.
Teyla ran to the Infirmary, she was now wearing her off world gear. "Major Sheppard, what has happened?"
"I don't know, but I have a feeling that we're about to find out." John frowned. He hoped that the egg was all right.
Ephyra walked closely behind Elizabeth. She was extremely worried, and afraid that something was wrong with her daughter.
Carson came out from behind one of the curtains. He had a huge smile on his lips, "It's really quite extraordinary, quite extraordinary indeed." He grinned seeing that everyone was there, though he was a bit curious about the barely dressed woman.
"What's so extraordinary?" Rodney lifted his chin as he tried to look around Carson.
Carson grinned, and pulled back the curtain. "This is!"
Elizabeth's brows came together as she saw Aiden standing there with his back to them. All of a sudden she heard a little giggle.
"Who's the prettiest little mermaid in the whole huge universe? Meredith is! Yes, you are." Aiden turned around; he had not noticed that the others came into the room. A tiny infant wrapped in a white blanket lay in his arms.
The baby giggled again as she kicked her legs and then went back to sucking her thumb. She thought that his voice was funny.
Ephyra gasped for air as she fell to her knees. Tears came to her eyes, as she looked up at the man with the baby.
Carson noticed the woman fall to her knees, and quickly knelt down next to her, "Are you all right?"
Ephyra, whipped her eyes, and smiled as she nodded, "Yes, she's alive and well. That's all that matters to me."
John cleared his throat to get Aiden's attention.
Aiden looked up from the baby's face, and saw everyone there. He straitened up, but continued to smile anyway, "It was the most amazing thing that I've ever seen. One moment she was sitting in her egg sucking her thumb and then she decided that she just wanted out! She kicked her fin back and forth, until the egg broke, then she shifted forms. That's when Dr. Beckett came in. He took her out of the water to examine her, but she shifted forms again in his hands." Aiden shook his head as he continued to grin; he hadn't notice Ephyra.
"I was so startled, I nearly dropped the little lass." Carson stood back up.
"Lt. Ford, do you remember, Lady Ephyra." Elizabeth bent down and placed her hand on the mermaid's shoulder.
Aiden's eyes went wide; he carefully knelt down in front of her. "I'm sorry Ma'am, I was just so excited that she hatched." He extended his arms out towards her as she took the baby into her own arms. "Remember support her neck."
Ephyra placed a gentle kiss on the girl's forehead. "She so beautiful." She sniffled, as tears streamed from her eyes. "You know your, mommy, of course you do." She kissed her again. She looked at Aiden, "what was it that you called her?"
"Meredith, Ma'am. It means 'Protector of the Sea'." Aiden looked at her with a bit of sadness in his eyes. He knew that Meredith was going to be leaving them.
Ephyra looked down at her daughter, "Meredith... do you like that, love?" She smiled softly as the baby did as well. She looked at Aiden, "she shall keep that name, thank you for taking such good care of her." She thought that the young man had kind eyes. "What was that other name you called her, a mermaid?"
"Yes Ma'am. When I was growing up, my grandmother used to enjoy making up different bed time stories about a race of people that looked like they were half fish and half human..." He looked down as he thought of his grandparents. "A mermaid named Meredith was one of the characters that she made up."
Ephyra smiled softly, she thought that was a nice memory. She was about to say something else, but Elizabeth spoke up.
"Why don't we go to the Conference Room, I'm sure that we all have many questions that we would like to ask you. That is if you don't have to get back right away." Elizabeth was very curious about her people.
Carson and Aiden helped Ephyra stand. She looked at Elizabeth. "I can stay for a little while, in fact, I need your help..." She looked down at her daughter, who was staring up at her.
John gave her a half smile as he answered before Elizabeth could, "what can we do for you?"
"Meredith is too young to make the transition after going though the Star Gate. We tend not to bring our young out of the lagoon until they are old enough to carry a weapon to protect themselves from predators." She looked at John; "I was hoping that you could use your flying ship to take us back to the Temple."
John looked at Elizabeth, who nodded. "That's not such a bad request. We would love to do that for you."
Food Court
Sora walked around Lynet to see if there were any slips of paper left in the bucket. She picked up the last one, and opened it. "Thursday, 11:30 AM," she looked up at Lynet.
"I'm sorry Sora; that's his time." Lynet wrote down the day and time next to Dr. Kavanagh's name.
Dr. Kavanagh was still standing there with his arms crossed in front of his chest, "I'm not going to go. I came here to do scientific research, not track around a forest looking for animals to kill." He started to shake his head.
Sora tilted her head as she looked at him with narrow eyes. She slowly walked around him. Once she did that several times, she looked at Lynet, "Are all men from Earth as pathetic as he?"
Lynet repressed her laughter.
"Excuse me! I have every right to do as a please. I am a civilian and this is a civilian expedition." He narrowed his eyes as he watched Sora look him over with disgust in her eyes.
Once Lynet was able to get herself under control, she shook her head. "No, Sora, on Earth, for the most part, each person does what they think is best according to their conscious."
"So, this man has no conscious?" Sora tilted her head, her eyes lit up with laughter.
Dr. Kavanagh shook his head, "I'm out of here." He moved past them to gather his food. He had promised himself when he was a teenager that he would never let anyone bully him into doing something that he didn't want to do.
Lynet and Sora watched him leave. Sora grinned, "Where I come from, there is a name for people like that."
Lynet flipped her long blond braid off of her shoulder, "what's that?"
"Wraith food."
Conference Room
After the group sat themselves, Ephyra looked about and was mildly worried, they had not harmed them, but she could not be sure of their intentions. She had been so concerned about her daughter, that she didn't even take into consideration her own safety upon coming to Atlantis. "I hope that you don't mind me asking, but why did you take my daughter." She held the child close to her heart.
Elizabeth looked over at John, "Major Sheppard, why don't you answer that one?" She leaned back in her chair.
"Alright, I will." John sat forward, "well, there are a number of reasons why we... borrowed, Meredith." He looked down and pressed his lips together, "we had never encountered anything like her before, and I thought that perhaps it would be best to have Dr. Beckett take a look at her to see what we could learn about her genetic make up..."
"I don't think she knows anything about genetics..." Rodney rolled his eyes.
Ephyra shook her head and smiled, "I'm guessing that you are referring to her life code." She looked at Rodney, "those that created us, also left us with the records of where we came from and how we were created. I don't claim to know everything about genetics, but I do know that each life code is unique in its own way."
"Oh, well... I guess its good that you know at least that." Rodney didn't feel like saying anything else for the moment.
Ephyra turned towards Elizabeth; "you mentioned earlier that they were preparing her for her return trip home, so I gather that you finished your tests?"
"I did, love." Carson smiled, "the results were quite interesting. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought to come across a mermaid!"
Ephyra's brows came together, "you can not shift then...?"
"No, we maintain our present form for most of our lives. Have you never come across humans before?" Carson tilted his head.
Ephyra tilted her head as she thought. The baby grabbed hold of a piece of her hair and yanked it to get her attention. She looked down at her child and smiled while shaking her head. She was quick to dislodge the piece of hair, and swing it over her shoulders so that it was out of reach of Meredith's little fists. "The records indicated that we were like you at one point in our history, but all of that changed... according to the stories my ancestor came from a distant city with several other people. They worked long and hard to fight the blithe that had consumed many of our people. Although when they were recalled to go home, he alone stayed. He had fallen in love, and was not able to bare the thought of leaving her behind." She held a dream like smile, she always loved that story, and "eventually he was able to help us to change so that the blithe would never be able to harm us again."
"You're talking about the Wraith." Teyla tilted her head down wards. "That means that they have not been to your planet in ten thousand years?"
Ephyra shook her head, "every so often, strange pointy air ships have been reported to have been seen in the skies, but they circle around and then disappear into the sun."
"And they've never taken any of your people?" John looked at her with some suspicion in his eyes.
"Not that I know of." Ephyra looked at him with sincerity in her eyes. "There were those who did not wish to be changed by my ancestor's people. They left and went over the mountains long ago. They have never been heard from since."
"I find it hard to believe that none of your people would ever bother to go looking for them." Rodney tilted his head.
Ephyra shrugged, "Occasionally there are those who would wish to live on the land and not in the ocean, but they can not travel very far from the coast."
"Why is that," Elizabeth asked her, she was curious to know the answer.
"Well, we have to shift every so often other wise we become sick... it is extremely hard to explain." Ephyra shook her head; "The only time that we can stay out of the water for an extended amount of time is if we decide to fertilize our eggs internally in my current form. At that point we are unable to shift, and are very susceptible to the elements."
"That's fascinating! That's why you had Meredith in the Temple, because it was the safest place for her then?" Carson smiled; he found this all to be very interesting.
"Yes, that was the safest place for the eggs, but now... it no longer is as safe for them as it used to be. The power that we need to keep the water warm enough is running out..." Ephyra sighed, "we have known this for some time, and have sent schools out to find new lagoons to the far south. Fortunately they have been successful. Only a few of us remained behind to make sure that the remaining eggs can hatch."
"Excuse me for asking Ma'am, but were the other three eyes yours as well?" Aiden thought that it might be nice if Meredith had siblings to play with.
Ephyra shook her head, "no they are not. They are all from different parents, although they are all boys, that's why we grouped them together like that." Ephyra ran her fingers though Meredith's blond hair, as she held her up against her shoulder. "In the old days the Temple would be filled with eggs, but now we are moving away from that era, and have to find new means of keeping them safe."
"Have you tried to fertilize your eggs internally in your mermaid form?" Carson thought that it would be similar to the way that dolphins carry their young.
"There are always some who wish to do it that way. Although they can't reproduce as quickly, and are much slower then the rest of their school when they hunt for their food." Ephyra frowned, "I really should be getting back home. My people don't know that I came to retrieve my baby."
"Of course, we will have a Puddle Jumper ready to bring you two back home within a few moments." Elizabeth smiled at her, as she went to stand.
"Before you leave I have a question for you." Teyla stood as well.
"Yes?" Ephyra tilted her head, as she rubbed the baby's back.
"Back in the Infirmary you were asking about the different names that we call your kind," Teyla took a deep breath. "What I was wondering, is what do you call yourselves?"
"Oh!" Ephyra thought for a moment, "My particular school is called the Nautian. Other schools have different names. Each year we meet with various different schools to celebrate different occasions. Many times the younger people find their life mates, and use the Temple to start their own families. Once they have grown into a significant number, the schools break apart so that it will be easier to find food."
Elizabeth tilted her head as she listened to the mermaid speak, "do you ever fight?"
"Occasionally there are disagreements, but they resolve themselves quickly enough. We have enough to worry about when it comes to protecting ourselves from predators, that we don't want to have to worry about protecting ourselves from each other." Ephyra stood up as well.
The rest of those that were present began to stand. John said in a low voice to Rodney, "I wonder what is better, getting the life sucked out of you from the Wraith, or worrying about becoming shark bate."
Ephyra heard what he had said and decided to reply, "we rarely run into sharks that wish to eat us. And if we do we are capable of taking care of ourselves as long as we remain in a group."
"If you don't mind me asking, what do you exactly eat?" Rodney had been wondering about this the entire time that he sat there listening to her.
"Small fish, oysters, seaweed, things like that." Ephyra tilted her head, "don't you eat from the sea as well? Your city does float on it, does it not?"
Elizabeth exchanged looks with Rodney and Teyla.
Teyla answered, "No we don't."
John tilted his head, "why don't we?" He had not thought about the possibility of eating fish.
"You know, I've never thought about it. We'd have to make fishing nets, but I'm sure that we could come up with something." Elizabeth beamed a smile, for the first time in a long time she saw something positive on the horizon.
Two Hours Later - Dr. Elizabeth Weir's Office
Lynet knocked on the door. She held her clipboard in hand.
"Come in." Elizabeth was busy writing out her report about the Nautian.
Lynet made her way over to the chair in front of Elizabeth's desk. She gently placed her clipboard down in front of her. "G'day, Dr. Weir."
"Ah! Dr. Ryley, just the person I wanted to see." Elizabeth folded her hands in front of her on top of the desk.
Lynet beamed a smile, "Really? Well, of course you wanted to see me." She took a deep breath, "I found eleven volunteers. I won't have to recruit anyone who doesn't want to hunt."
Elizabeth smiled, "That's wonderful. You can add making fishing nets to your list of things to do."
"Fishing nets?" Lynet tilted her head, "I suppose that would be a great idea! Maybe we could adjust the sensors on one of the Puddle Jumpers to detect where there are abundant amounts of fish from orbit."
"Great." Elizabeth tilted her head, "was there something else you wanted to ask me?" She had sensed that Dr. Ryley wanted to say something since the moment she stepped into her office.
Lynet chewed on her lower lip as she nodded slowly. "It's about Sora, Ma'am. She wants to help us out with the hunting parties."
"You do realize that she is a liability?" Elizabeth frowned. She didn't want to give the young woman the chance to harm any of their personnel.
Lynet took a deep breath, "I realize that. Although she does have to eat as well," she paused. "I was hoping that she could assist in the training process. Most of it will take place here in Atlantis, and we could have some military supervision if that will be more permissible."
Elizabeth thought it over for a moment, "That seems to be a fair request. I will take it into consideration and talk it over with Sgt. Bates and Major Sheppard."
"Thank you Dr. Weir." Lynet stood, and nodded.
"Your welcome." Elizabeth smiled as she watched Lynet get up and leave.
John nodded to Lynet as he moved past her and into the office.
"I take it that there were no problems returning the mermaids to their lagoon?" Elizabeth looked up at him as he continued to stand.
"None what so ever. Although Lady Ephyra's mate was shocked to see her step out of the back of the Puddle Jumper." John smiled, "he wept when he saw Meredith. It was really quite touching."
Elizabeth sighed as she thought of the family being reunited. She leaned back in her chair, "how is Lt. Ford taking Meredith's absence?"
"He's been a bit quite, but he can handle it." John shrugged.
Elizabeth tilted her head, "John, Lt. Ford's always quite."
"True. Okay, maybe he looks a bit sad, but as I said he can handle it." John shifted his weight.
Elizabeth nodded, "I was thinking of having him supervise Sora while she helps to train the hunting parties."
John lifted a brow, "Do you think that's wise to let her do such a thing?"
"If it is wise or not, we are going to be running out of food, and we need to make sure that we have enough for the next year. We can't be trading any more of our weapons and medical supplies for grain." Elizabeth stared at him.
"Why not just ask Teyla to do it?" John crossed his arms.
"I am, although there is enough volunteers that we are going to need both of them to help out." Elizabeth watched John's response.
He nodded slowly, "I see your point. I guess you're going to want me to convince Sgt. Bates that she's not going to attack anyone."
Elizabeth smiled, "That would be incredibly helpful."
((The End! Thank you all for reading my fanfic! I really appreciate it, and I would like to thank all of those who have left me a review! It really means a lot to me to know what you think of the story! :) ))
The Nautian von Amanda Eros
Story Bemerkung:
This is my first Atlantis Fic. I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think. Thank you :)
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