Chapter 1/ The joys of Doctor McKay

Just a day in life in year 2006

The wonderful life of Rodney McKay!

Today I was sent to a planet called Avana to work on some new technology discovered last week by Lorne's team. Just another mission away from Atlantis, the rest of the team (as usual) is taking a vacation while I am working all day, trying to figure out how some alien device works, during a very hot day, on a weird planet, with complete strangers following my every move.

When I came back to Atlantis that day I was just tired and pissed because the damn thing did not work or was useless, and I just lost patience. Never trust Lorne's team to find something decent to work on.

That is why, when I arrived I did not pay attention to whatever new device his team had brought back to Atlantis. Zelenka was excited and talking Czech to himself (I wonder why he does that, he looks even more idiotic than he usually does).

I was walking down the corridor, back from my doc check-up when Elizabeth caught up with me and tried to convince me to work on the device.

"You should take a look at this new technology Rodney. Doctor Zelenka thinks it might be a new power source. He told me that he detected some energy field from the inner core of the device but didn't know how to turn the device on."

Elizabeth seemed clearly enthusiastic about the thing, while I was just being my moody self and wanted to clear my head for once.

"Yeah right! I am just not in the mood to play "let's find the switch" after today's failure with the Avana 'revolutionary device'. I don't want to waste MY time on some stupid device, so no thank you!"

She didn't seem at all impressed by my reaction. 'I'm getting rusty if she doesn't even bite' thought Rodney.

"Come on Rodney, not even a peak at it? You cannot be that pissed to miss some new technology,» teased Elisabeth

"Hmph, maybe later, right now I'm tired and need to eat. Care to join me?" he asked bluntly. The more time he spent with Elizabeth the better his mood got or that was what his brain was telling him.

"Sure, why not!" replied Elizabeth, and they left to get some lunch.

Meanwhile, in the lab a group of scientists was working furiously to resolve the mysteries of a square metal box forged who knows how long ago. Zelenka was having a hard time with it:

"I did the calculation twice, it looks like a simple EM pulse should activate the device, I suggest we overthrow the failsafe protocol that keeps us from accessing the core by using a secondary unit".

"Shouldn't we wait for Doctor McKay to look at it before actually doing anything" said a German scientist.

"We still don't know what's the origin of the device and what it does, it is unnecessary to take risk right now, we should wait to see what McKay thinks." declared a Russian.

"Dr McKay will try to make us look stupid as usual, we should try to find something to show that he is the incompetent and not us." argued the Korean.

The quarrel in the lab was growing and Radek didn't want unhappy scientist around his new discovery. He was having a headache because of the constant bickering of his team.

"All right, let me talk to doctor Weir before we actually do something stupid." answered Zelenka. "I don't want to compromise our position even if Rodney McKay is a pain in the ass. I'm going to talk to her right now, meanwhile try to find any trace as to whose race it might be related to."

In the commissary, Rodney was being his usual self and Elizabeth Weir thought he looked funny trying to impress her with another of his stories, she would never fall for that but he was cute and so into it, (did I just said cute? hmmm? maybe just a little).

" …So I saw this guy behind me looking as if I was going to blow myself with the device and you know me. I would never do anything that stupid. I mean, I have more degrees than anyone in this base so I know what I'm going. He actually looked like a Neanderthal if you ask me…"

"Rodney, we are trying to establish friendly relationships with other races across the galaxy, not to piss them off by saying that their 'brain cannot support basic thinking notions!' You really need to take diplomacy classes before you find us an enemy worst than the Wraith."

"Elizabeth, I'm just trying to tell you that people that stupid should be locked and not wandering around!"

"Oh Rodney please! Don't start again…" the exasperated Doctor, leaned back on her chair.

"Anyway, I manage to make him leave me to work alone with the device, not that it was that much of a use"

Zelenka arrived in the commissary at this instant, out of breath having searched for doctor Weir for the past 10 minutes, he saw Rodney first and said:

"So you are too good for us now?" clearly wanting to start an argument

"Are you talking to me now?" asked Rodney "because I'm busy at the moment."

"You are the chief scientist here, you should be supervising every discovery here, shut your stupid ego for once."

Seeing Weir Radek calmed down.

"Oh Hi! Doctor Weir, I would like to start experimenting on the device found on P3P77."

"Trying to impress someone?" said Rodney continuing his lunch.

"I don't know what got into you lately but you are an ass!"

"I'm just in a bad mood"

"No you are not, and I now why!"

"Oh really! Now you are a psychiatrist." Sneered Rodney.

"No, but I know why you are so hostile and I know for sure you don't want to talk about it here with… you know who listening!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." said Rodney glancing away.

As heated as the discussion was, Elizabeth didn't want to be in the middle of it. She had noticed things getting edgy between Rodney and his fellow scientists but still, Radek was supposed to be his friend.

"Gentlemen! If you could please try to stay in a good working relationship before you destroy the fragile climate of the city."

"Sorry." they both said weakly.

"So what do you think Doctor Weir?" Radek was obviously trying to get out of the argument; meanwhile Rodney was grumpy, looking everywhere except at Radek.

"If Rodney has no objection,» he added

"He can play as long as he wants, I don't care." Waving his hand dismissingly, Rodney looked back at him and want back to his meal.

"Alright, but I want you to be careful!"

"Well I better head back to the lab then! I have work to do," he said looking meaningfully towards Rodney and left without waiting for an answer.

"What was all of that about?" asked Elisabeth.

"I have no idea."

"Rodney!"

"What? He is getting on my nerves that's it!"

"I was under the impression the two of you were arguing about someone." Why did she have to hit the right spot, Rodney flinched at the idea and went back to eat his food saying nothing.

"And from what I can tell it is a woman..."

More silence, then he started:

"Just forget about it Elizabeth. I don't want to discuss anything about that with you."

"Ohoh! I was right!"

"Shut up Lizzie."

She looked at him raising an eyebrow, she had a feeling Rodney was hiding things from her. Of course, their friendship had been through a lot in three years, but last year had been the hardest one, she had lost faith in Rodney after his catastrophic mistake at the ancient outpost and he had tried very hard to make it up. He was distant but still close enough to talk to. A change in him had occurred a few months ago, he had started to look oddly at her…

The com came on interrupting her thoughts:

"Doctor Weir to the control room immediately."

"Let's go, but I'm not finished with you Rodney." said Elizabeth.

When they arrived the technician started anxiously:

"We have ships coming towards us, I counted five but there might be more, they just came out from hyperspace, and should be here in twenty four hours."

"Go away, let me see that!" said Rodney pushing the poor guy, "oh oh that's bad..."

"What?" asked Elisabeth.

"Pretty bad, pretty pretty bad actually..."

"Rodney?"

"There are more and they are headed towards us for sure."

"How many?"

"I see 9 but there could be more coming."

"I will call Teyla and Ronon, they are on the mainland and John is on the Daedalus supposed to arrive tomorrow. We really need help."

"Right and I am going to look at this data, you never know, might find out something more."

At the same time in the labs, Radek was setting a magnetic impulse generator to get the alien device to work.

"It might take a while, we don't really know how the machine will react." said Zelenka.

"Maybe we should…"started the German guy when the com called for Radek.

"Doctor Zelenka to the control room."

"I will be back."

As he left someone switch the generator causing a pulse, powering the alien device, a larger magnetic pulse was sent combined with an unknown reddish wave, setting the city alarms on; knocking the scientists down. Zelenka who was in the corridor got a shot just as the city started to lock itself out.

Tada! cliffhanger! What the hell just happened? It's for you to guess and me to write!

Reviews anyone?