Alisa wandered through the corridors towards the Control Room; she’d heard the alarms go and wanted to go see her father. She’d been quite clingy the past few weeks after the thing with Michael, thankfully he didn’t seem to notice, or if he had, he hadn’t called her on it. Reaching the Gate room, Alisa frowned as she realised only John was back.
“And speaking of blondes,” the leader of her father’s team grinned as Alisa appeared, “Hi.”
Alisa stopped, she grimaced slightly, “Huh?”
“Feel like a trip?” John continued to grin at her.
“John, I don’t know if Rodney would agree…” Elizabeth started.
Alisa was staring at both of them, “Hold on. What is going on?”
“The planet we’re on has some fantastic Ancient tech,” John held it in front of her, dangling it like a piece of string in front of a kitten, knowing she couldn’t resist, “Want to come play?”
“What about Dad?” Alisa asked, suspicious of John’s jovial mood.
John shrugged, “He was just saying how you should see it.”
Alisa turned to Elizabeth, “Can I go?”
Elizabeth frowned, she could kill John but it was a safe planet and she was only going to be there a short time.
“You can come with me,” Elizabeth told the teenager, “But you leave when I do.”
A smile split Alisa’s face, “Cool.”
“Hi, Dad.”
Rodney looked up from the readings he was taking staring at his daughter, “What the hell are you doing here?”
Alisa frowned and turned to the smirking man behind her, “I’m not getting into trouble for this,” she looked at her father and pointed to John, “He told me, you wanted me to come.”
Rodney glared at John before motioning his daughter towards him, “Come look at this.”
Alisa smiled and moved to his side. She stared, astonished at what he was showing her, this was incredible.
“Rodney,” a woman’s voice interrupted them.
Alisa glanced up as a slim, attractive blonde woman walked towards them with a confused look on her face.
“Norina,” Rodney greeted the woman, “I’d like you to meet Alisa, my daughter. Lissa, this is Doctor Norina Pero. She’s the Head Scientist here on Taranis.”
“Hi,” Alisa greeted with a smile.
Norina nodded, “Hello,” she glanced over at Rodney, “You did not tell me you were married.”
Alisa rolled her eyes slightly, “My Mom’s dead and Dad is a free agent, except for me.”
“Lissa,” Rodney warned.
His daughter gave him an innocent look, turning back to the readings. Rodney frowned but before he could say anything the whole room started to shake. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed his daughter, whose eyes were wide in shock.
“I think I should have stayed at home,” Alisa whispered.
Elizabeth listened to what Rodney was telling them, looking out across the horizon, “I don’t see a volcano.”
She turned to look at them, aware of how pale Alisa was where she was standing by her father.
“Because,” Rodney explained, “You're standing inside it right now. Look, when you think of regular volcanoes, you think Mount St Helens,” he mimed a volcano, “Or, uh, Kilauea.”
“And Super-volcano?” Elizabeth asked nervously.
“Yellowstone National Park,” Alisa spoke up.
“Exactly,” Rodney nodded grimly, “With a caldera over fifty miles wide and a massive sea of molten rock just beneath the surface.”
“So, the Ancients built the facility here in order to tap into all that geothermal energy,” Elizabeth noted.
“Right,” Rodney nodded, “And these things don't erupt very often. Thousands, oftentimes hundreds of thousands of years go by between blasts.”
“So the Ancients thought what the hell, plenty of energy down there to run the shield?” Sheppard shook his head.
“Yeah,” Rodney sighed, “But not continuously.”
Norina turned to Chancellor Lycus, “By doing so, we've increased the pressure of the magma chamber.”
“It's expanded to over forty miles now,” Rodney told them, “And increasing.”
“It’s going to go boom,” Alisa added in, being swatted slightly on the shoulder by her father.
Elizabeth rubbed a hand across her eyes, “Can it be stopped?”
“No,” Rodney shook his head sadly, “The damage is already done. Look, a significant hotspot rift has opened. The pressure will keep building as magma continues pouring in, directly beneath us.”
“Is there anything we can do to relieve the pressure somewhere else?” John said, before suggesting, “Uh, maybe we can fire a drone down into the crust on the other side of the caldera.”
Alisa let out a snort of derision.
“Every problem has a military solution in your world, doesn't it?” Rodney snapped at his friend irritably, “Look, when this baby goes, the whole thing goes.”
John rolled his eyes at Rodney before turning to Lycus, “Then we need to evacuate your people.”
“Is there anywhere on this planet we can help relocate you to?” Elizabeth asked the Taranans.
“Look,” Rodney snapped, interrupting them, “You're still not getting it. Listen to me, all of you. When this thing erupts, the force of the explosion will be over ten thousand times greater than the blast that destroyed Mount St Helens. It will obliterate half of this continent.”
“There must be other continents,” Elizabeth said.
“The dust cloud will envelop the planet within weeks,” Rodney told them, “Blocking out enough sunlight to kill every living thing. We are talking about an Extinction Level Event,” he turned to Lycus, “Look, the only option you've got is to evacuate your people to another planet -- and I would advise doing it sooner rather than later.”
Lycus stared at them for several minutes, “Excuse me.” He turned to leave the room, pausing to talk quietly to a guard, “Watch them carefully,” Lycus ordered before walking out.
“Oh, I'm sorry,” Rodney snapped, “Was my volume turned right down?” He stared at the others incredulously, “Did he not hear me?”
“Apparently not,” Alisa frowned.
*********************************************
Alisa was standing, helping go over the readings. She was trying not to think about what was going to happen. Suddenly, the entire complex started to shake violently.
“Dad?” she gasped as he grabbed her to him, holding onto her until the shaking stopped.
“You’re out of here,” Rodney told her, once the shaking had stopped.
Alisa nodded, “No argument from me.”
She stayed at Rodney’s side until Elizabeth and Lycus were ready to take the first wave of evacuees to Atlantis.
“Alright,” Rodney said to his daughter as she was about to leave, “I’ll see you soon.”
“Be careful, Dad,” Alisa told him, fear in her blue eyes.
Rodney wrapped his arm around her and hugged her tightly, gently kissing her forehead, “Of course I will be, it’s me.”
Alisa let out a slight laugh and gave him a weak, worried smile before she headed down to the Gate.
Elizabeth and Lycus headed through the Gate, leading the first wave of refugees. Alisa was at the end of the queue, looking up at where her father was looking down, watching her.
The complex started shaking violently again. The ground just in front of the Stargate erupted, smoke and steam billowed out; magma began to erupt from the ground in great spurts of molten hot liquid.
“Everyone back inside,” Alisa screamed, pulling the arm of the woman near her, “Come on, run.”
Alisa motioned people to move, scrambling back herself. Looking up, she saw Rodney at the window.
“Sheppard,” she heard him over the radio, “Get those people back inside the facility. Atlantis, this is McKay. Raise the shield! I repeat, raise the shield.”
Alisa stopped at the entrance to the complex waving people inside, staring in horror as the Stargate fell forward and crashed to the ground. The ground, already covered with magma, gave way and their only way off the doomed world slowly sank into the red hot molten rock.
John grabbed her instantly when she stepped inside.
“The Gates gone,” Alisa stared at him, terror filling her eyes, “John, the Gates gone.”
“I know,” he soothed, he gently squeezed her arm, “But we’ll find another way out of this. Come on, your Dad will want to see you.”
*********************************************
Alisa stepped into the ship and stared around.
“Wow,” she breathed, “I could spend the rest of my life in here.”
John shoved her slightly further in, “You might if you don’t get to work. Rodney, see what you can do.”
“Okay,” Rodney started bouncing around, setting his daughter several tasks and a few moments later, “And primary power...is...” he pointed towards the wall screen without looking at it, “...online.”
The screen obligingly lit up and all the lights came on in the room. Rodney turned, heading for another console, pushing Alisa to another and out of his way while Norina followed him.
“Lissa?” Rodney called over to his daughter.
“I’ve got it,” she nodded, returning to her work.
“Life support should be back up and running in a few minutes,” Rodney told the others.
“Good,” John nodded, he leaned over to look at one of the consoles, “That's good.”
“And I have…uh…discovered the ship's name,” Rodney glanced down at his computer tablet, “It's the…um…Hippaforalkus.”
“The what?” John shared a grimace with Alisa.
“Yeah, well,” Rodney waved his hand, “It appears to have been named after an Ancient General ... Hippaforalkus.”
“Love the name,” Alisa noted.
“We're not calling it that,” John declared.
“Oh good, then what about…” Rodney started.
“And we're not calling it the Enterprise either,” John cut him off.
“How about Voyager?” Alisa suggested with an innocent look.
Both men looked at her as she grinned at them, “Back to work,” they told her in unison.
Alisa rolled her eyes and returned to the console she’d been working on, ignoring the conversation going on. The ominous sound of the soon to erupt volcano surrounded her and she shivered before going back to trying to fix the ship.
“I have already learned so much from you just in the last few hours,” Norina said to Rodney, who looked at her surprised, “Perhaps one day I could study under you.”
John looks up to the ceiling in disbelief, as Alisa who was under a console jerked with laughter and hit her head.
“Son of…”
“Lissa,” Rodney barked. He disliked Alisa swearing in any form; it was something he’d picked up from his mother-in-law.
“Diddley,” she finished with a smirk, rubbing her head where she’d hit it.
Rodney glared at her before he turned back to Norina, “Well, I really ... um, really look forward to that. But first we need to, uh, get off,” Rodney sensed the looks he was getting from John, “Uh, first we need to get off the planet...first we need to get off the planet and then you can be under me…”
The complex started to shake again cutting him off, Rodney gripped the console he was working on ducking down. John moved to keep Norina from falling over and held onto her as the entire ship shook. Alisa gripped the sides of the console she was under, hoping nothing decided to fall and hit her. Finally, the tremors subsided.
“Okay,” Rodney noted, standing up, “That was a big one. That was a lot stronger than the…” he trailed off finding John and Norina standing staring into each other’s eyes.
“You alright?” John asked the woman.
Norina nodded, continuing to gaze into his eyes, “I'm fine.”
Rodney rolled his eyes and hit the console in front of him slightly to gain their attention. John released Norina and moved away to allow her to return to her work.
Alisa slid out from under her work station and motioned him over.
“You okay?” John asked her, seeing the small red swelling where she’d hit her head.
Alisa waved away his concern, “You know,” she motioned Norina with her head, “You guys are beyond pathetic.”
John, unable to think of any comeback at that moment, simply shrugged.
*********************************************
“Lissa,” Rodney called, motioning her over, “I need you to bypass everything except life-support. We’re going to need the power to get out of here.”
Alisa nodded, “Okay.”
Rodney paused for a second and stroked her cheek, “I’m proud of you, Lissa. You’re doing well, considering how scared you are.”
“I guess we both blossom in a crisis,” she smiled weakly.
Rodney squeezed her arm before he moved around the bridge of the ship. Sheppard’s comments to him earlier had sparked an idea, one which was an extreme long shot but at the moment it was all he had. Glancing across the room, he saw his daughter work on the task he’d given her. She’d been moody the past few weeks after what had happened with Michael and he found himself wishing that Cadman was still there. Alisa would talk to her. But here and now, he saw her future as a brilliant scientist.
“Dad, I’ve got it,” she called, “Want me to do the next stage?”
Rodney could see the astonishment in Norina’s eyes at how good Alisa was, “Yes. Good work, Lissa.”
Returning to work, Rodney bit his lip in thought. He might actually get this set up on time.
“Alright,” Rodney did a few final things needed under one of the consoles, “So, hyperdrive's ready, inertial dampeners engaged, shields are up,” he glanced at his daughter, who nodded, “We're good to go.” Rodney pulled himself out and jumped up, “Whoa.”
“What?” Norina cried nervously.
“Got up too fast,” Rodney told her, as the others rolled their eyes.
John turned to him, “Where's the P.A.?”
Rodney motioned the Captain’s Chair as he headed to position, “Arm of the chair.”
John took the seat, as Norina and Alisa both sat down.
“Alright, folks,” John said, across the radio, “All chairs and seat backs into your upright and locked positions.”
Carson scrambled into a seat and fastened himself in, squeezing his eyes shut in anticipation.
“Don't hold your breath,” Rodney told them, “It could happen any time in the next half an hour.”
The ship started to vibrate; Alisa gripped the console she was sitting at. She watched her father who gently winked at her, making her smile before she winced as the entire ship shuddered violently making everything rattle.
“Here goes,” Rodney yelled, “Alisa, now.”
Alisa hit the controls and hung on for dear life as the ship, which John had managed to call the Orion, was ejected from the hangar by a rush of molten lava.
Alisa stared in amazement, they’d done it. The viewscreen showed space and just at one side was the Daedalus.
“It worked,” Carson sighed in relief.
Norina smiled across at Rodney, “You really are a genius.”
Rodney said nothing, still clinging onto the console, wide-eyed and staring at nothing in particular.
“Rodney?” Norina asked, slightly worried.
He let out a slight breathy laugh, “I'm good.”
Alisa burst out laughing; she unbuckled herself and moved to him, “Yes, you are.”
Rodney caught her in a tight hug, “So are you, Lissa.”
“This is the Daedalus,” Caldwell’s voice filled the bridge, “Are there any survivors aboard?”
“Yes, sir,” John told him, unable to stop grinning, “In fact, we have a pretty big passenger list.”
They heard the cheers over the radio.
“We still kinda need help getting back to Atlantis,” John told Caldwell interrupting the celebration.
“I’m sure we can arrange a tow,” Caldwell replied, “Caldwell out.”
John looked around the bridge, “So, anyone got a deck of cards?”
*********************************************
“This is a beautiful place,” Norina noted, stepping onto the balcony Alisa was currently sitting on reading.
“We like it,” she replied, swinging herself up to face the other woman, “Is there any specific reason you’re here?”
Norina looked embarrassed, “I wanted to speak to you about your father.”
“You know,” Alisa held up her hands, “Who he dates is none of my business, but,” she folded her arms across her chest, “Considering you were hanging all over John at times, I might make an exception.”
“Alisa,” Norina started.
“Listen to me,” Alisa cut her off, “You are obviously smart, otherwise you wouldn’t have risen to the position you were in. Then again, you could have slept your way there.”
Shock and offence covered Norina’s face, “How dare you.”
“I dare,” Alisa replied, she’d faced down fully-trained Marines, she had no fear of this woman, “Those two men are very, very important to me and I’m not having someone ruin their friendship. You might not believe me, Norina but I can make your life miserable here on Atlantis.”
“Really?” disbelief filled the Taranin’s voice.
A smirk, similar to Rodney’s covered the young woman’s face, “Yes, I can and not one person will believe that I’d do such a thing,” Alisa knew that was a total lie but one thing Laura had taught her was that if you’re going to lie be confident about it and Alisa was, “Cross me and I will.”
Without another word, Norina turned and left the balcony. Humming cheerfully to herself, Alisa went back to her reading.
“It’s nice to know nothing changes around here,” a voice Alisa definitely hadn’t been expecting came from behind her.
“Laura?” Alisa bounced up as she saw her friend appearing on the balcony, “You’re back.”
Laura Cadman smiled at the absolute joy shining in her friend’s eyes, “Yes, I am. I take it you’re glad to see me.”
“Of course I am,” Alisa laughed.
“And threatening strange women?” Laura asked; an eyebrow rose questioningly.
Alisa rolled her eyes, “She’s playing Dad and John off one another. I don’t like it.”
Laura laughed, some things definitely didn’t change, “Lissa, I have to go see Dr Weir, but after that I’ll meet you for dinner.”
“That’d be great,” Alisa grinned at her.
Laura gave her a quick hug, happy to see her again before heading to talk to her superiors.
Laura arrived at the conference room just the doors opened. She stepped inside to where Caldwell, Dr Weir, Colonel Sheppard and Rodney all sat.
“Cadman?” Rodney cried in astonishment, “What are you doing back?”
Laura smirked at him, “It’s nice to see you too, Rodney.”
“Lieutenant,” Caldwell motioned her inside and made sure the others joined them, “You said you needed to talk to us.”
“Yes, sir,” Laura took a deep breath as she grabbed a seat across from Rodney and John, “When I returned to Earth, General O’Neill talked with me. It’s about Alisa.”
Laura saw panic and fear fill Rodney’s eyes at the mention of his daughter, “What about her?”
“Apparently,” Laura took a huge breath, “There have been some rumblings within the IOA about how much access Alisa has to Atlantis.”
“I’m sure I’ve had this argument already,” Rodney moaned in annoyance.
Laura bit her lip; she didn’t want to tell Rodney this, “General O’Neill has also received word that it’s possible the Trust know about her too.”
She noted all four staring at her, horror in their eyes.
“Dr McKay,” Caldwell said, “It’s not like they can get anywhere near her here on Atlantis.”
“He’s right,” Elizabeth added in, speaking for the first time, “The General must just want us to be aware of the possibility. The problem we have to deal with is the IOA.”
“I have noted several times that Miss McKay having such access was a high security risk,” Caldwell reminded them.
John frowned, touching Rodney’s should to stop him snapping, “But it has proved a lot of time to be useful. Taranis being the perfect example.”
“I’m not suddenly pulling her from every project because she’s a teenager,” Rodney snapped, “Alisa is a hell of a lot smarter than some of the ones with their doctorates. She lives in the city, it’s not like she’s going to be passing information to anyone.”
Elizabeth sighed, “For now, we continue as always. I’ll handle the IOA if and when this becomes an issue.”
That effectively dismissed them and Laura headed out with Rodney and John at her side, Caldwell held back to speak some more to Weir.
“Don’t worry about it Rodney,” Laura told him, “Come on guys, I’m meeting Lissa for food. Want to join us?”
“I’m always up for food,” John said, he patted Rodney’s shoulder, “Don’t think about it too much, Buddy.”
Rodney grimaced but stayed silent as they entered the mess. He saw his daughter sitting and smiled at her bright smile.
He’d worry about it later.
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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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