Alisa looked up from the console she was sitting at in the control room as her father marched in with Carson and Colonel Caldwell. Caldwell moved to the front of the group and turned to the gate technician.
“Contact any teams that may be offworld,” he ordered, as Rodney and Carson moved to Alisa’s station, Rodney taking over, “Let them know that we're suspending all Gate activity until further notice,” he looked up and announced to the entire room, “We're going to full alert status.”
“I think I just located one of them near the Power Room,” Rodney reported, glancing up at Caldwell.
“What’s going on?” Alisa whispered to Carson, who let out a sigh and shook his head. She jumped as the Control room plunged into darkness and all the computers died, “What the hell?”
“Oh, you're kidding!” Rodney cried annoyed.
Carson found a torch and shone it around the dark room, “What happened?”
“The whole city just went dark,” Rodney reported, only slight sarcasm in his voice before he looked up worriedly at Caldwell, “Oh, tell me you had someone guarding the Power Room?”
Caldwell nodded, “Two marines from Daedalus,” he touched his radio, “Hutchinson, this is Caldwell, report?”
Silence answered him and Alisa nervously gripped her father’s hand. Rodney gently rubbed her shoulder.
“Where's auxiliary power?” Caldwell demanded.
“Naquada generators aren't kicking in,” the Gate tech told him, “He or she must have damaged the back-ups.”
“We've lost everything?” Caldwell asked incredulously.
“Shields, communications, long range and biometric sensors,” Rodney reported, annoyance creeping into his voice.
“The sensors from the Daedalus,” Caldwell reminded him, “We can contact them.”
“Subspace communications are also down,” Alisa spoke up.
Caldwell glanced at her before turning his attention to her father again, “I need for you to get down to the Power Room, Doctor. Restore primary systems.”
“I should go along too,” Carson said, “Marines could be hurt.”
“Exactly,” Rodney cried, “Marines may have been injured. We can't go down there!”
Caldwell rolled his eyes, “I will send two of my people along with you just in case.”
“Well,” Rodney hesitated, “How do we know that Sheppard isn't down there waiting in ambush?”
“Because he's not trying to kill us,” Carson frowned at his friend, “He's trying to kill Doctor Weir.”
Rodney let out a disgusted snort, “Oh that is so much more comforting.”
“This is not a request, Doctor McKay,” Caldwell snapped.
Rodney turned and stared at him. Alisa licked her lips nervously.
“Let me know the moment you have a damage assessment,” Caldwell continued quieter but the command was evident.
Rodney glared at him for a few seconds before turning to his daughter, “Lissa, stay here and do what you can once the systems are back. Okay?”
“Okay,” Alisa nodded her voice slightly shaky.
Rodney gently squeezed her shoulder before turning to the Marines standing there waiting, “Go,” he ordered.
*********************************************
Caldwell left the infirmary after seeing Sheppard and Weir, heading back to his ship now that Hermiod had finished his latest upgrades.
“Hi, Colonel,” Alisa McKay greeted him as he rounded the corner.
“Miss McKay,” he greeted her cordially, “Are you heading to the ship?”
She laughed, rolling her eyes slightly, “Hermiod’s got me doing papers now. He’s called me to go over it with him.”
Caldwell couldn’t help but laugh at the annoyed look on her face. He had become quite fond of the young woman, even if he still didn’t like the amount of freedom she had concerning sensitive information. He had been very impressed however by the way she’d conducted herself during the crisis, taking orders and working as professionally as the others to get them back into the computer systems.
“How are you?” Alisa asked suddenly, “After…you know?”
Caldwell shrugged, “I’m never going to forget what it made me do but I’m not going to let it destroy my life.”
“Nice to know,” Alisa smiled.
Caldwell smiled back at her as he mused for a second, “What are you doing later?”
“Hopefully not redoing that paper,” Alisa replied.
“I was going to talk to your father about this but you might be a better choice,” Caldwell told her, “Sheppard and I recently discussed how many of the marines were overwhelmed by the more ah…unusual aspects of Atlantis.”
Alisa frowned slightly as she worked out the sentence, “What?”
“I want you to use the recently discovered simulation room to create a series of tests that we can use to train new recruits to the city,” Caldwell explained.
“And you want me to do this?” Alisa asked, a hint of an amused smile creeping over her face.
Caldwell nodded, “You have lived in this city for almost two years; you know the systems and this could be a project for your degree.”
“Why is everyone so interested in my education all of a sudden?” Alisa demanded suspiciously.
“Because, Miss McKay,” Caldwell smirked at her, “We’re all very interested in how right your father is.”
“What do you think?”
Rodney scanned over the laptop his daughter placed in front of him, Caldwell’s request for her to make a training simulation for the new recruits to Atlantis had surprised him but he smiled seeing how thorough she was.
“Excellent,” he praised her, “Lissa, you’ve taken scenarios from actual missions and incorporated them brilliantly. I couldn’t have done a better job.”
A bright grin split Alisa’s face, “Really?”
Rodney gave her a quick hug, “Have you shown this to Radek?”
“Not yet,” she told him, “I wanted you to see it first. Colonel Caldwell wants the first group to try it out tomorrow so I wanted the results before I submitted it.”
Rodney nodded, “Its excellent work. I’m very proud of you, Lissa.”
Alisa beamed at him, she took the laptop he handed her and smiled, “Night, Dad.”
“Goodnight, Lissa,” he smiled at her, the pride he felt shining in his eyes before he turned back to his own work.
*********************************************
Alisa sat in the control booth for the simulation room, they’d found this place last year just before the siege and she’d spent hours with Ford trying to work out what the place could do. For a second she stopped her work and slid her hand into her pocket to grip the dog tags she kept there. She was relieved she’d listened to Ronan and not thrown them away.
She touched her radio, “Colonel, I’m ready for the first group.”
“Are you sure you don’t want someone with you during this?” Caldwell asked, “Considering these are Marines and more than likely won’t like the idea of a teenager telling them what to do.”
“They’ll have to get over that,” Alisa replied, with more boldness than she actually felt, “I’ll be fine, Colonel.”
There was a pause on the other side of the radio before he replied, “Very well. They’re coming; I want you to report to me after you’re done.”
“Of course,” Alisa replied, she switched off the radio and sagged slightly. She really wished she’d agreed to have someone with her but she hadn’t and would have to get through this
The group of Marines wandered in and Alisa licked her lips nervously, once they were all there she stepped forward.
“Good morning,” she greeted them, “You’re here to go through a simulation of what life may be like here in Atlantis. Since this is the first time we’ve used it, I’ve set it at a low setting to begin with. I need to know about any problem.”
“Is this some kind of a joke?” one of the guys near the front laughed.
“Meaning?” Alisa asked, trying not to shrink back under the hard gaze.
“Who’s really in charge of this?” the same Marine demanded.
Alisa folded her arms across her chest, “I am in charge.”
A ripple of laughter moved through the group in front of her and Alisa bristled.
“I am in charge of this,” she told them again, her voice sharp, “I have lived in this city for two years, I know Atlantis better than almost anyone else and Colonel Caldwell asked me personally to set this up for you,” her blue eyes filled with ice as she stared them down, “Since you’re all cannon fodder, I suggest you do as someone with more than half a brain is telling you to. Split into your teams now,” she continued, “The simulation starts in 30 seconds.”
She spun on her heel and headed back to the booth, leaving several shocked expressions in her wake. Entering the control booth, Alisa let out a shuddering breath managing to calm herself and get her mind back on her work. She’d never let anyone bully her before, she wasn’t about to start now.
“How are you doing?” Teyla’s question made Alisa jump a little.
“Fine,” Alisa forced a smile, glancing up from the readings in front of her.
Teyla sat at her side, “You are lying, Alisa.”
“They didn’t take me seriously,” Alisa sighed, “When I was trying to explain what I was doing here. They were looking for whoever was really in charge.”
Teyla rested a hand on the young woman’s shoulder, “They do not know you the way we do.”
“That’s my point, Teyla,” Alisa grimaced, pushing her hand through her hair annoyed, “If I’m supposed to do this for all the new recruits then surely…don’t you think…”
“Oh, Alisa,” Teyla smiled gently, “You are still just a teenager, you may be brilliant but you are still just a girl.”
“Teyla, that’s my point,” Alisa cried annoyed, “Maybe I should have listened to Caldwell and had Laura help me with this.”
“Considering how you dealt with this group,” Teyla smiled at her, “I do not foresee any more real problems. The word will travel quickly.”
Realisation covered her face, “You were listening in?”
“Myself and Ronan just wanted to ensure that you were not out of your depth,” Teyla replied, an amused smile covering her face, “We are now both worried about how like your father you sounded.”
Alisa dropped her eyes for a second, a smug smile touching her lips, “You think?”
Teyla squeezed Alisa’s shoulder, “Completely.”
“Okay,” Alisa said decisively, “Then I don’t need you with me next time.”
Teyla smiled and rested her hand once more on Alisa’s shoulder, “Join us for lunch.”
Alisa nodded; glancing back down at the consoles, “I should be finished by then. See you later, Teyla.”
As Teyla left her alone, Alisa smiled to herself feeling more confident than she had that morning.
Featured Stories
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.
Most Recent
Alisa - The College Years by LE McMurray 13+
Having left Atlantis to go to college in no way meant Alisa McKay's life would...
Having left Atlantis to go to college in no way meant Alisa McKay's life would...