Rodney stood looking at the large mural on the wall before him, studying it with interest as he mused over their mission here.
“It’s a layout of the Sudarian villages,” Alina appeared at his side with some bread, smiling at him, “The walls of this monastery have protected it for 10,000 years.”
“Hmm…it’s ah beautiful,” Rodney told her.
Alina nodded, “It is,” she looked at him with a gentle smile, “And yet my eyes are drawn elsewhere.”
“Hmm…” Rodney looked back at wall, then to a spot over his shoulder to find out what she was looking at. Seeing nothing, Rodney turned back to her, “Elsewhere?” his voice was soft, confused.
“I’d like to restore it one day,” she continued smiling, “But I’m afraid of damaging it. Perhaps you could help me, doctor?”
“Really…you have to start calling me, Rodney,” he told her heading to take a seat.
Alina followed him and placed the bread down as she sat beside him, “Very well.”
Rodney unable to stop himself yawned.
Alina frowned at him, “I don’t bore you do I?”
Rodney shook his head, “No, its not you. No… suddenly I feel so tired.”
“You’re a scientist,” Alina said confused, “Are you not used to this by now?”
Rodney laughed, “Ah but my kind of science is the good kind of science,” he took a deep breath, trying not to yawn again, “The kind you can do sitting on a chair or lying on a couch.”
Alina laughed a little before changing the subject, “What was it like growing up in the city of the Ancestors, Rodney?”
“Sorry?” Rodney asked, a little thrown by the sudden change in topic as well as the question.
“Atlantis,” she clarified.
“Oh,” Rodney realised, “No no no no, we didn’t. We come from a planet called Earth in an altogether different galaxy. We only just recently made Atlantis our home.”
“How recently?” she probed with a frown.
Rodney shrugged, “Well, it’s a matter of months really.”
Alina grimaced very slightly, “You’re tired,” she said suddenly, “Do not let me keep you from sleep.”
Rodney was a little confused, “Well, if you insist, I’ll um…ok…”
He left her sitting and wandered towards where his team was sitting round a table talking, “I’m heading to bed.”
“Which bed might that be?” John asked, with an extremely unsubtle grin.
“Hmm,” Rodney sighed before stopping and staring at his friend. “What?”
Ford grinned at him. “Think the leader might have a little crush on you, Doctor.”
Rodney turned in astonishment to where Alina was still sitting, “She does?”
“It is very clear to us all,” Teyla told him with a smile of her own.
“It is?”
John grinned at him even more, “To everyone but you apparently.”
Rodney swallowed, completely perplexed, “Well, should I have um…I mean…are you sure about this.”
“Yeah,” John told him, “Pretty sure.”
Sudden panic flicked through him, “What should I do?”
John raised an eyebrow at him,” You don’t know what to do?” he asked, not even bothering to hide his grin, “Rodney, you have a kid. What happened there? Did you find her under a bush?”
Rodney fixed a glare on John, “I know what to do eventually. I mean what should I do now? Should I say something tonight?”
John glanced at Teyla who was trying hard not to laugh out loud, “Tell you what valentine. Wait till tomorrow,” he told Rodney, “You’ll be more on your game after you get some rest.”
“Oh…right,” Rodney nodded, “Right… Good answer. Good night.”
As he headed to his room, Alina glanced over watching him. Once Rodney was out of hearing range, the rest of the team started to laugh.
“Good morning,” John greeted Rodney who was standing, staring at the wall again.
“Yeah,” Rodney murmured before turning to his friend, “What do you think of letting Alisa help us?”
John was stunned by the request, “It’s your choice.”
“I wasn’t asking your permission, Major,” Rodney told him scathingly, “I was asking your opinion. Do you think it’s safe to bring her here to help?”
John mused over the question for a few moments, there hadn’t been any sign of danger and they’d been here for several days now. Finally he nodded.
“Yeah, she should be fine,” he replied, “Why this sudden urge to let her offworld? Would it have something to do with the woman whose been eyeing you up?”
“It has to do with my daughter wishing to learn more about what I do,” Rodney replied coldly, “Nothing more.”
John squashed his urge to laugh and simply nodded, “Of course.”
Alisa smiled as she exited the Gate; she was dressed in a uniform borrowed from Lieutenant Selena Johnston which pleased her no end. Johnston was about the same height but had been a few sizes smaller than her when they’d arrived in Atlantis.
“Nice look,” Rodney greeted her with a fond smile, “You know what we’re doing?”
“I was given the full briefing,” his daughter replied with a roll of her eyes, “We’re looking for stone tablets which should in turn lead us to the ZPM.”
“Brat,” Rodney playfully shoved her in the direction where everyone else was waiting for them.
They made it to the most recent site they were excavating. Alisa gave John a quick wave hello as Rodney moved her over to Alina who was waiting for him with the eight stones.
“Rodney,” Alina gave him a warm smile before she glanced at Alisa standing at his side, Rodney’s arm slung around her shoulders, “Who is this?”
“Alina,” Rodney pulled Alisa in front of him, “I’d like you to meet Alisa, my daughter. Lissa, this is Alina, she’s the leader of the people of this planet.”
“Hi,” Alisa grinned.
“It is nice to meet you,” Alina said softly before turning to Rodney, “Your wife does not mind you bringing her to another world?”
“My wife died a long time ago,” Rodney swallowed, “Lissa, why don’t you go see if Ford needs some help.”
“Sure,” she nodded heading to where her friend was digging, “Sixteen years old and being forced into manual labour,” she murmured just loud enough for Rodney to hear.
Alina looked at the eight stones they had in front of them, “It doesn’t look much like a map. I guess I was wrong.”
“Possibly,” Rodney murmured before continuing as she glanced at him, “Although just cause you…you thought it was a map. It doesn’t make your initial assumption bad…or incorrect. Incorrect yes but… it was a good guess.”
“I’m sorry,” Alina frowned at him.
“You’re very,” he glanced over to where John and Alisa were standing watching, both looking amused, “very smart…and uh…and attractive and what not and…” he saw John coming towards them and glanced back at the stones, “You know…when things aren’t going through…when things don’t…you know…”
“Is everything alright?” Alina even more confused than before.
“Yeah it’s great,” Rodney stammered slightly, “Its great…you know everything’s really…why wouldn’t it be?”
John arrived at that moment, “You sure we’re in the right place. We’ve almost doubled the size of the dig. And we haven’t found anything yet.”
Rodney frowned at him for daring question, “This has got to be the right place. The other eight stones were exactly where we thought they were going to be. Why would this be any different?”
“Major!” Ford’s call interrupted them
“Tell me you found the stone,” John yelled over.
“Not quite sir,” Ford replied, “But I think McKay should take a look at this.”
Everyone headed to where Ford stood and dusted off a large stone, sunk into the ground.
“It carries the mark of the Brotherhood,” Alina told them.
“The writings in ancient,” John noted glancing up at Rodney, “Can you read it?”
“Lissa?” Rodney turned to his daughter; she grimaced at his question, moving to get a better look.
“Only the something of fifteen could…should something something?” she looked up at him hopefully.
“It’s a warning,” Rodney told them, giving her a small smile; “It says only the brotherhood of the fifteen should enter the chamber of…” he trailed off, not knowing the final word.
“Of the Quindozum,” Alina finished for him, receiving a smile.
“What chamber?” Teyla asked.
With a shrug, John motioned them to take up position and they heaved the panel off revealing a chamber, Ford threw down three night sticks and as soon as they hit the bottom, the group looked at one another questioningly.
“So who wants to go first?” Rodney spoke up first, “Seems like more of a Sheppard thing.”
*********************************************
“Easy, Ford,” Rodney ordered as his daughter was lowered down, he caught Alisa when she was close enough to him.
“You know, I really hate caverns,” Alisa muttered as she started to look around.
“Alright she’s down,” John called up.
“Alright I’ll stay up here,” Ford called down, “Keep an eye on the descender.”
“Stay sharp,” John ordered.
The group wandered around the cavern to see what they could find, Rodney saw Alina set the stones into a pedestal and moved to join her as she was dusting away the centre indentation.
“Do you see this,” Teyla said, “This is the whole pattern.”
“So the ninth stone must integrate into this centre piece,” he looked at the sides to two hand prints. He placed his hand in the first hand print before turning to Alina, “May I?” he asked, giving a slight smile as she moved out of his road so he could press his hand in the other one.
“I think we can rule out a map,” Teyla noted.
“You’re right,” John said to her before turning to Rodney, “Any ideas?”
“I’m getting there,” Rodney sighed.
They stood staring at the stones.
“It looks like a Gate address,” Alisa noted, twisting her head from side to side.
Rodney nodded proudly at her, “It is a Gate address. A six symbol gate address.”
“Gate symbols?” Teyla mused.
“I see them now,” Alina smiled over at Rodney, “Yes.”
“Do you recognize the address?” Teyla asked them.
Rodney frowned, “No.”
Alina shook her head, “I am not familiar with this one either.”
“So,” John said, “The ninth stone’s on another planet?”
“You’re fast,” Alisa murmured to him.
“Little respect kid,” John gently shoved her, “We’ve got company.”
Alisa shrugged before frowning, “What’s that noise?”
John wandered over to the entrance and looked up, “Ford?”
“Major Sheppard,” a man yelled down, “I’m afraid the Lieutenant has had to step away for a moment.”
Rodney looked up worry in his eyes, “Who’s that?”
“It can’t be,” John’s eyes widened in horror.
Teyla gasped as she also realised, “Sounds like…”
John’s eyes narrowed, “Kolya!”
Rodney moved, grabbing Alisa to him,;keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders as Kolya appeared above them.
“Surprised?” the Genii leader asked a smile on his face.
John glared up at him, “You’re alive?”
“As far as I can tell,” Kolya spread his arms with a grin, “Did you actually think a single bullet to the shoulder would kill me? I always thought you were smarter than that.”
John glanced back to where Rodney was keeping a good grip on his daughter, “What’d you do to Ford?”
“He’s fine,” Kolya replied dispassionately.
John folded his arms, realising they were stuck, “So what do you want?”
“Same as you, Major,” Kolya’s lip curled with a sneer, “The lost treasure of the Quindozum.”
John heard Rodney’s sharp intake of breath, “What possible use could that be to you?”
“The Daganians have informed me that this ZPM…what ever it might be, is an object of great power,” Kolya told them, “And great power is of use to all people, especially the Genii.”
“Sunira,” Alina snarled, turning on the other native of the planet with them.
“They offered us a great reward, Alina,” Sunira defended herself, “They agreed to let us keep the treasure if we…” she stopped suddenly as Alina slapped her, the sound echoing round the small bunker.
“They’re no use to you, Kolya,” John shouted up, “ZPM’s only work on Atlantis.”
Kolya shrugged, “Perhaps but I prefer hearing that from a Genii scientist.”
“We do not have it yet,” Teyla spoke up, “We have not found the ninth stone.”
“We have an unbelievably large tactical advantage over you,” Kolya reminded them, “Now if you would rather I just covered the mouth of the chamber up and forget about the whole thing. I’m more than willing to consider it.”
Rodney let out a sigh of annoyance, “She’s right. We’re close, but we’re not there yet. Look the ninth stone is hidden on another planet. All we have is the Gate address.”
A vicious grin covered Kolya’s face, “Dr McKay!” he laughed, “So wonderful to hear your grating voice again. How’s the arm?”
Rodney winced as Alisa spun to him, horror filling her eyes; her mouth opening and shutting silently.
“Stay here,” Rodney told her, softly kissing her forehead, “Just stay here and do whatever John tells you.”
Before she could protest, Rodney stepped forward so that Kolya could see him, “You wanna keep trading barbs or do you want to find the ZedPM?” he challenged, “Look let me out of here and I’ll help you find it. But then you let my team go.”
“Shut up, McKay,” John snapped in a harsh whisper.
“Have you got a better idea?” Rodney whispered back.
“No,” John sighed in annoyance glaring at him.
“Look after her,” Rodney murmured to John before looking up, “Do we have a deal or not?”
“You and one of the Daganians will be raised out,” Kolya told him, “Along with everyone’s weapons and radios. The rest of you will remain here. Oh and your daughter is more than welcome to come too.”
“She stays here,” Rodney snapped.
“Very well,” Kolya laughed, “If Dr McKay finds the ZPM you will all be let go. I give you my word.”
“Well we have his word,” John muttered.
Rodney grimaced at his friend. “I don’t see that we have much choice,” he glanced over to where Alisa was standing; he gave her a soft nod before shouting, “Coming up.”
“Hey, kiddo,” John moved to where Alisa was pacing as Teyla helped Ford, “Your Dad will be fine.”
“This is the guy who took over Atlantis,” the teenager’s voice was dull, “And that cut on Dad’s arm wasn't an accident, was it?”
John looked down into the frightened blue eyes; he slipped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
“It’s goin’ to be okay,” John murmured into her hair, feeling her shake in the embrace, “You gotta trust me.”
Alisa nodded pulling back and sniffing back the tears that were threatening her. John gently squeezed her shoulder before he started moving around the chamber.
“This is pointless,” he snapped after several minutes of studying their cell.
“No way out,” Alisa asked softly from her position at Ford’s side.
“You think they’d have given us a trapdoor or something,” John pushed his hand through his hair.
“So, what do we do now?” Alisa asked very softly.
John looked at them. “What you got that we can use?”
They started to rummage through their bags, Teyla pulled up her pant’s leg revealing a knife.
John grinned, “That’s a start.”
“I got a couple of flash bangs,” Ford spoke up with a grin before shrugging, “I think that’s about it though.”
“Flash bangs?” Teyla asked, exchanging confused glances with Alisa.
“Kinda like grenades,” Ford explained, grinning again, “Pull the pin, press the trigger, once you let the spool pop you’ve got about 1.5 seconds before the room’s filled with 2.4 million candle power and a bang about 175 decibels.”
“It will stun anyone with they’re eyes and ears open for about 10 seconds,” John finished the explanation, a smile spreading across his face.
“You’ve got an idea?” Alisa asked, looking hopeful.
“Yeah,” John nodded as he started dragging his foot through the dirt floor. “Come over here and give me a hand.”
*********************************************
The moment Rodney hit the bottom, he moved to Alisa, “Are you okay?”
She nodded, her eyes widening as Kolya arrived. He motioned to his men who forced Alina, Ford, Teyla and Sheppard to kneel and place their hands behind their heads as one of the men moved to Alisa, Rodney pulled her behind him.
“Leave her,” Kolya ordered, “It’ll be better if she’s with her father.”
Rodney glared at him before moving to the pedestal again Alisa in tow, “I just assume that we put the stones on the pedestal, someone puts their hands on the palm prints and hopefully we will get the ZedPM. The question is what order do we put the stones in?”
“I think it’s pretty straight forward,” Kolya’s second in command said.
Alisa snorted in derision; Rodney turned to her and smiled, noting that Kolya was smirking.
“Well nothing’s been straight forward yet,” Rodney sneered at the man, “What makes you think this would be?”
“The last stone is the only one with grooves that match the centre position,” the Genii man challenged
“So?”
“So it fits snugly into place, complete the pattern, get the ZPM;” the man stepped forward, “Why would they continue to play games at this point?”
Rodney rolled his eyes, trying to stop the man but couldn’t. Rodney kept Alisa at his side as he was pushed to one side while the Genii man tried his theory.
“He’s dead,” Kolya growled, moving towards Rodney, “You knew this would happen.”
Rodney let out an annoyed breath, “Yes. Yes I did. In fact, I was in the middle of telling you as much when you ordered him to activate the pedestal. You killed him not me!”
As Kolya moved towards him Rodney kept Alisa behind him, she gripped her father’s hand as she stared at the dead man laying not that far from her feet.
“What is the correct order of the stones?” Kolya demanded.
Rodney shook his head, “Not sure yet.”
Kolya walked over to the other members of the team, “Well you have five chances to get it right,” he told Rodney, he grabbed Alisa and pushed her to stand with Ford and Teyla, “The girl will be last. But Sheppard, you go first.”
“Alright. We tried 1 to 9,” John mused, glancing over to Rodney, “How about 9 to 1?”
“Possibly,” Rodney mused before nodding down at the dead man, “He was right. The centre stone is the only one that locks into place, all the others must move around it. I’m just trying to think of a combination that makes sense with 5 in the middle.”
“Fifteen,” John mused. “It’s got to be something to do with 15. Or…9 or…5…”
“Shut up, please,” Rodney snapped, “I’m trying to think.”
John glared at him heatedly, “Don’t tell me to shut up, Rodney. My life’s at stake.”
“Exactly so simmer down and let me save it,” Rodney snapped back.
They argued back and forth for a while before Kolya got tired of it, “This is taking too long. Choose and go.”
“You got somewhere you got to be?” Rodney turned on him.
“Choose and go,” Kolya threatened; aiming his gun at Alisa’s head, making her gasp in horror.
Rodney stared in horror at the gun pointing at his daughter’s head before turning to John, “I got nothing.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” John grimaced; his mind went over and over the possibilities responding to Rodney automatically.
“I got it,” he cried suddenly.
Rodney gasped, “What?”
“The brotherhood of fifteen,” John told him before explaining as Rodney questioned him, “The numbers 1 to 9 have been put in 3 by 3 grids with fifteen in every direction.”
Rodney frowned at him before realisation struck, “Oh You’re right,” he looked at his friend confused, “How’d you know that?”
“It was on the Mensa test,” John waved the question away.
Rodney stared at him in astonishment, “You’re a member of Mensa?”
John grinned, “No. I took the test.”
“When?”
John rolled his eyes, “You wanna talk about this now, Rodney?”
Together they moved the stones into position before glancing at each other. John let out a long breath.
“Good luck,” Kolya told him with a sneer.
Swallowing hard John placed his hands to the imprints in the pedestal, grinning as the ZPM came out of the wall. Kolya and Rodney simultaneously walked towards it then chaos broke out.
As Ford let off the flash grenade; Alisa moved against the wall, keeping away from the fighting as ordered by John, watching in astonishment as the people she loved and trusted as family calmly took out the men that had been holding them at gunpoint.
“What the hell just happened?” Rodney yelled, rubbing his eyes.
“You ok?” John turned to the others.
Alina nodded, “Yes, thank you.”
“Yeah,” Alisa nodded, still shaking slightly.
“Sorry, Rodney,” John apologised, “I had no way of telling you what was coming?”
“My eyes,” Rodney yelled at him, “I need my eyes for seeing.”
“Get the ZPM, Rodney,” John ordered with a grimace.
Rodney did as ordered, muttering under his breath as he headed to get the ZPM, when he saw Kolya glaring at him Rodney rolled his eyes, “Don’t look at me.”
“Alright we’re getting out of here,” John told them, “Alisa, you’ll go up straight after Ford.”
“I’m gonna be up all night,” Rodney grinned, holding his prize tightly to him, “Lissa, just wait, I’ll be getting every system I can online,” he moved forward, “Alina, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to properly repay you for this.”
“You won’t have to,” she told him, stopping as villagers appeared behind her weapons pointing at them.
Rodney stared at her, “I’m sorry?”
John moved Alisa between Ford and Teyla, “Alright, easy.”
“Alina?” Rodney stared at the woman, hurt in his blue eyes, “You’re involved with the Genii?”
She pulled herself up, “This has nothing to do with the Genii. I’m a member of the new brotherhood.”
“Then what is this about?” Rodney snapped; Alisa moved to him, standing at his elbow.
“Ten generations ago, after a severe culling the brotherhood was destroyed. Many of us found their writings and decided to complete the task handed down to us by the ancestors. I am the new master handler. We thank you for helping us find the Potentia but it must go into hiding again,” she explained.
“We come from the City of Ancestors,” John yelled annoyed, “That ZPM was intended for us.”
“No,” Alina retorted, “You live in Atlantis but you are not the Ancestors.”
“What’d you tell her?” John demanded of Rodney.
Getting slightly desperate, Rodney turned to Alina, “Atlantis might fall if we don’t take this back and it would serve no purpose. You really think the Ancestors would have wanted that?”
“None of us can know their plan,” Alina replied with conviction.
“Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me,” Alisa muttered, annoyed with the stupidity of what was going on.
“They don’t have a plan?” John demanded incredulously. “You think getting attacked by the wraith and getting chased out of the galaxy’s something they planned for?
“Alina,” Rodney pleaded, “You’re far to smart to think that.”
“Apparently not,” Alisa murmured, receiving a shove on her shoulder from Ford.
“The Potentia will be put into hiding on another world,” Alina told them sharply as she took the ZPM from Rodney’s hands, “When the Ancestors return our people will be greatly rewarded.”
“Alina, you can’t believe that,” Rodney pleaded, “Look come back with us. Let me prove it to you.”
She shook her head, “This is how it must be,” a catch developed in her voice, “Now it is time for you to leave.”
Rodney stared at her back before spinning and marched towards the Gate. The rest of them followed him in silence.
*********************************************
Alisa peered into her father’s lab; finding him sitting, staring at his computer screen. He’d been upset by Alina’s betrayal and now the news the Wraith would be here within two weeks had everyone going crazy.
“What do you want?” her father’s question made her jump.
“I…” she hesitated, “I wanted to know how you were. After…you know.”
Rodney sighed, “I’m fine, Lissa. But I have a lot of work to do.”
“I know,” Alisa moved to his side, “I just wanted to…about Alina.”
“What about her?” Rodney grimaced.
“You liked her,” Alisa noted.
Rodney frowned at her.
“I’m just saying,” Alisa defended herself.
Rodney sighed, “Alisa, look…”
“Mom died a long time ago,” Alisa reminded him, “You are allowed to date, you know. I’m not exactly going to have a tantrum about it.”
Rodney looked into her eyes and smiled slightly, “Maybe once we survive the Wraith.”
“And assuming you can find anyone crazy enough to take us on,” she grinned at him, sliding out of the room before he could retort, heading back to her own work.
Rodney watched her for a few minutes before sighing. If only they’d got the ZPM, if only she’d listened to reason.
If only’s slipped through his mind before he shook his head and grabbed his mug, needing either coffee or at least the Athosian tea stuff they’d been drinking.
The Wraith were two weeks away.
Two weeks was all he had to come up with a way to save them all.
Two weeks to keep his daughter safe.
And Rodney had no clue how to do it.
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Fortune\'s Favor by Offworlder FAM
Winner of the Atlantis challenge for the December 2007 fic challenge contest.
Winner of the Atlantis challenge for the December 2007 fic challenge contest.
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